Atticus’s words sounded like a poisoned knife, stabbing hard into Dixie’s heart.

She opened her eyes and stared at him, her face pale.

Atticus’s expression was terribly dark as he spoke in a cold voice, “I ask you, do you do it?”

Dixie stayed silent. She slowly rose and calmly watched the man standing in front of her, both known and strange at the same time.

A smell of hospital disinfectant clung to him, likely because he came straight from the hospital.

Dixie coldly laughed. “It is not me.”

“If it is not you, who else could it be?” Atticus laughed coldly. “Last night I only went to keep her company, and today she almost lost her innocence. Dixie, do you still have any conscience?”

“Conscience?” Dixie laughed quietly, her eyes full of dislike. “Atticus, you break your vow. What right do you have to speak to me about conscience?”

“It is not me. Believe it or not.”

Atticus coldly laughed. “That thug already confessed he accepted money from you.”

After saying this, he roughly pulled her out of the villa and pushed her into the car. “Jennifer is still frightened. You’re coming with me to the hospital to apologize.”

Dixie laughed angrily. “I already said I didn’t do it. I’m not apologizing!”

She tried to open the door, but the driver had already started the Phantom.

When they reached the hospital, Atticus ignored her resistance and dragged her into the ward.

Jennifer was lying on the bed, her face bright and healthy, nothing like someone who had just been frightened.

When she saw Dixie, a brief look of pride and challenge flashed in her eyes. Then she acted scared and gave a fake apology.

“Miss Chapman, I know I was wrong.”

“I’ll stay away from Atticus. Please don’t send anyone to destroy my innocence again!”

Dixie clenched her teeth in anger at her fake behavior. “Stop pretending. From the time I found out you and Atticus were together, I already stopped thinking about staying with him. Why would I have someone to rape me?”

Right after she finished talking, Atticus spoke in a low tone, “The criminal already pointed at you himself. It cannot be wrong. Say sorry!”

Seeing the man with the dark expression, Dixie suddenly remembered the words he once told her.

“Even if one day you shoot me, I will believe the gun fired by accident.”

Atticus, who once trusted her completely, now believed the words of a criminal…

No, in the end, it was because of Jennifer.

Dixie’s heart held chaotic feelings, and her chest hurt every time she breathed.

Suddenly, a strong pain spread from her wrist. It was Atticus.

He held her wrist hard and pulled her toward the bed, his voice cold with no warmth. “Say sorry to Jennifer. Right now.”

The cornersof Jennifer’s mouth rose a little, her tone fake and sickening. “Forget it, Atticus. Am I not okay? Since Miss Chapman refuses to admit it, just let her return.”

Dixie could not bear it anymore and lifted her hand to slap her. “Jennifer, stop spreading lies about me!”

“If you want Atticus, I will give him to you. Why spend so much effort setting up such a scene?”

Jennifer clearly had not thought Dixie would hit her. Her face showed complete shock. Atticus’s face turned dark, his voice cold. “Dixie, you really go too far! Not only do you refuse to say sorry after doing something wrong, but you even hit someone…”

“I already said it was not me.” Dixie felt deeply hurt. With red eyes, she looked at him. “She set me up. The one who should say sorry is her!”

After speaking, she turned around and walked away quickly without turning back.

Atticus paused for a moment, then hurried after her.

But in the next moment, Jennifer rushed into his embrace and spoke in a soft, clingy tone, “Atticus, don’t leave me by myself. I’m really afraid!”

Atticus hesitated briefly, and at last he agreed, “Alright, I will not go.”

Soon after, Dixie went back to the villa and got a WhatsApp text from Atticus.

[Since Jennifer no longer wants to continue this issue, we stop here.]

[The one I care about most is still you. Don’t overthink, and don’t act in ways you shouldn’t. I never allow anyone to threaten your place as Mrs. Reid.]

Dixie coldly laughed again and again, then quickly typed. [I refuse to marry!]

Atticus: [Do not speak mad words. Your dad’s state grows worse each day. I already asked Dr. Colton, the top-known doctor across the United States, to do heart bypass surgery for him. Also, the care and drugs he uses right now all come from hospitals owned by the Reid Group. If those suddenly end, what do you think happens?]

Dixie’s breath cut off at once, her nails pressing hard into her palms.

The Reid family held control over more than half of Jefferson City’s health services. The truth that Terrence could stay alive until this day truly had close ties to the Reid family’s help.

One more new message appeared in the message window. [Quietly stay and become my bride. I take care of Jennifer’s matter and do not allow her to trouble you again.]

Dixie rested on the wide, warm bed, yet her whole body felt very cold.

Jennifer was cruel enough to plan this kind of trap to blame her, and surely would not drop it.

As expected, Dixie’s thought was not mistaken.

Later that evening, Atticus’s bodyguards suddenly forced their way inside, pushed her into a vehicle with no reason given, and took her to the hospital.

Later, it became clear Jennifer had taken poison and kept vomiting and having diarrhea.

At that moment, she rested on the hospital bed with a pale face and pretended kindness while speaking to Atticus, “Miss Chapman is only confused for a brief moment and does not really want to hurt me.”

Atticus laughed coldly and stared at Dixie with cold and merciless eyes. “I already warned you not to hurt Jennifer again. Why do you not obey?”

Dixie looked at him calmly and showed no fear. “Atticus, yesterday’s issue and the poison have no connection with me! If I truly do it, she will not lie here still completely safe. This is clearly planned and acted by herself!”

She only said the truth, yet Atticus believed she made excuses, and his expression grew darker. “If I do not punish you, I believe you will not learn to be obedient!”

After saying it, he coldly ordered the bodyguards. “Bring her back to the villa, take away her phone, and shut her inside the underground basement. Without my permission, do not allow her to come out!”

The proud look in Jennifer’s eyes passed by. She pushed her hair aside, showing unclear red marks along her neck, and pretended to say, “Is this not a little inappropriate? Miss Chapman only completed an operation recently and has not fully healed. Atticus, I am truly alright. Just remain beside me more…”

“Alright.” Atticus’s tone sounded unbelievably soft. “I remain here beside you and go nowhere.”

Seeing them behave sweetly as if nobody else stood nearby, Dixie felt her heart stabbed again and again.

In the end, the bodyguards escorted her back toward the villa and locked her inside an underground basement without any windows.

Inside was dark and wet, and the air smelled of decay.

Dixie hugged her knees and sat on the floor, wondering how she might escape.

She did not know how much time had gone by when the cellar door was kicked wide open. The bodyguards brought three young men inside.

“Mr. Reid asks me to pass you a message: since you enjoy doing things secretly, then let you also experience what it is like to be raped!”

Hearing those words, Dixie suddenly drew in a shocked breath.

She stared at the bodyguard in disbelief, her lips shaking. “Impossible! He would not treat me this way!”

Even if Atticus no longer loved her, she had been the girl he liked since he was seven years old. How could he be so heartless…

“What is so impossible about it?” the bodyguard mocked. “Miss Steinfeld is Mr. Reid’s darling. You kept hurting her again and again. You are simply asking for trouble.”

“Oh yes, Mr. Reid even said himself that having sex with you feels nothing at all. An artificial vagina cannot compare to a natural one.”

After speaking, the bodyguard stepped out of the basement and shut the door hard.

The three male models hurriedly took off their clothing and jumped on Dixie, pinning her beneath them.

At the moment her body was roughly forced open, Dixie cried with regret.

She regretted loving Atticus and regretted even more completing ninety-nine operations for such a person.

That evening, cries from the underground room continued endlessly.

By the next day, the male models finally departed.

Dixie remained lying still inside a pool of blood, her body suffering from splitting pain.

She promised herself that Atticus must repay blood with blood!

Hopelessness rose like incoming waves. Dixie’s sight turned dark, and she fainted.

After awareness returned, Dixie’s entire body burned with heat, and her throat felt as if fire burned through it.

She had a strong fever!

Fighting the pain, she tried to crawl upward and slowly moved toward the door, her voice rough and weak. “Let me out. I must go to the hospital!”

Yet her cries for help brought no answer.

Slowly, Dixie’s awareness became unclear.

Before her eyes shut, she thought she saw Atticus staring at her with eyes full of pain.

“Dixie, let us stop the operation now, alright?”

“I will destroy myself. We will remain DINK forever. In this life, we never part!”

“Dixie, I promise I never betray you…”

She did not know how much time had passed before Dixie woke when the sound of the door opening reached her ears.

A bodyguard tossed a hard steamed bun onto her. “Miss Steinfeld gives this to you.”

Dixie spoke plainly. “Send me to meet a doctor. I do not wish to die here. However much Atticus gives you, I give twice.”

Yet the bodyguard ignored her and simply shut the door.

During the next few days, Atticus never showed himself.

The food the guards delivered was careless, sometimes hard steamed buns, sometimes spoiled and sour dishes.

To stay alive, Dixie could only bite her teeth and force them down.

Perhaps her fate was not meant to finish yet; the injuries slowly formed scabs, and the pain eased a lot.

On that day, a strange guard allowed Dixie to come outside.

“Mr. Reid asks me to tell you that after three days, it is your wedding. He brings Miss Steinfeld outside to relax and returns on the wedding day.”

Dixie coldly laughed. After harming her in this way, Atticus still believed she would become his bride!

After dragging herself upstairs, she immediately took out her phone and called the police.

After hearing she had been assaulted by three male models, the police said they would begin checking the case right away.

Later, Dixie purchased two flight tickets to the United States, then called Terrence.

She hid the details about the attack and only explained that Atticus had cheated on her, but still refused to cancel the engagement.

After discovering his daughter had been mistreated, Terrence became instantly mad. “He repeatedly promises he treats you kindly for life, so your mother and I allow you to do the operation. Yet he actually breaks his promise!”

“Dixie, you suffer injustice. Dad certainly demands fairness for you!”

Dixie tried very hard to convince him and finally persuaded Terrence to abandon that plan. “Dad, Atticus’s power reaches everywhere. We must not oppose him directly. The most urgent matter is leaving Jefferson City. I purchased tickets for you and Mom. You leave first. I follow you as soon as possible.”