I Believed in Love and Family, Only to Find Both Were a Trap

After the real Farrell heiress returned, Nicole Farrell went from the toast of Los Angeles to someone anyone could step on. She no longer lashed out. Instead, she looked down and started owning her mistakes. She no longer spent money recklessly, learning instead to make do with less. Just when everyone started saying Nicole had finally learned her lesson, Dominic Haynes, her former nemesis, chose that exact moment to propose, right in front of everyone. "Nicole, back then, I was too immature. I didn't know what love really was. It wasn't until I lost you that I realized I can't live without you." Nicole was stunned at first, then moved, because the love he offered was impossible to ignore. Fireworks lit up the city skyline, and every day seemed to come with another priceless piece of jewelry. But more than anything, it was his unseen efforts, the quiet ones, that touched her the most. He made those who humiliated her pay. He spent a fortune hiring top specialists, assembled a private medical team just for her, and tweaked her prescriptions around the clock. Everyone said Dominic was head over heels for her. But on the eve of the wedding, Nicole went to the hotel he frequented. She was about to push open the door to his private room when voices drifted through. "I heard you're getting your marriage certificate with Nicole." One of his friends teased. "Don't tell me you actually fell for her. What about your precious Chaya?" Nicole froze, her blood running cold. She clamped her hand over her mouth, too afraid to make a sound. Chaya Farrell was the Farrells' newly recognized true daughter. Dominic chuckled softly, almost as if the question were absurd. "If I had feelings for Nicole, why would I ever switch their identities?" He continued in a casual, teasing tone. "Nicole is the Farrells' biological daughter. But she was spoiled, arrogant, and used her status to get whatever she wanted. Chaya may be the illegitimate one, but she's kind. She's the one who actually deserves that place." One of the friends gasped. "Wait... Chaya's cancer meds, did you actually test them on Nicole first? Repeatedly?" Dominic said nothing. Silence spoke volumes. The men in the room erupted with admiration and shock. "Nobody plays the long game like Dominic!" "You knocked her down, swooped in as the hero, earned her trust, and then twisted the knife. That Nicole survived at all? That's a miracle!" Nicole felt her world collapse. Her body shook violently, tears streaming uncontrollably, but she bit her lip and stayed silent. So that was the truth! Every gentle look, every careful gesture, every word of comfort had been part of the same lie! The cruelest part was that her love had always been real! Nicole had been spoiled her whole life. The only serious hardship she'd ever faced was being kidn*pped at twelve, and Dominic had risked everything to save her. She had thought that Dominic cared for her. Until one day, a poor new student, Chaya Farrell, arrived at school, and Dominic started paying her special attention. Chaya's world fell apart the day she was humiliated in the schoolyard, forced to stand there begging Nicole. "Nicole, I just want to live. Please... Please let me go!" Dominic looked at Nicole with disgust in his eyes. "Nicole, you actually bullied her. I was completely wrong about you." From that moment on, Dominic and Nicole became enemies, infamous in Los Angeles. He snatched the items she had wanted at auctions and gave them to Chaya. Even the top-tier college she had chosen for her exams, he hijacked, making sure Chaya went instead. But no one knew that when the Farrell family had thrown her out, and Dominic appeared out of nowhere to confess, Nicole had been thrilled. She had believed that Dominic finally understood her heart. She had never imagined that it had all been a revenge plot designed to humiliate her. No wonder he had made sure she took her medicine every single time before leaving. Back then, she had thought it was love. Now she knew it had always been for Chaya! The truth cut through her chest, making her whole body tremble. Nicole reached out, desperate to storm in and demand answers. But years of being thrown aside had taught her caution. The Farrell family didn't have the power of the Haynes family. With her current standing, she knew she couldn't force justice. She swallowed her tears, turned, and ran back to the villa. She curled up in a corner, crying for who knew how long. Then, the sound of a door opening made her look up. Dominic's face appeared slowly, flawless as ever. He carried a package of medicine and a glass of water, walking over with deliberate steps. "Nicole," he said gently, "did you forget your medicine again? The doctor called and reminded me." His voice was gentle, carrying a warmth that seemed genuine. A bitter, ironic smile crossed Nicole's face. She lowered her gaze and whispered. "It's too bitter... Can I skip it?" Dominic frowned, a strange flicker crossing his chest. Nicole had never refused medicine. She used to see swallowing the bitter pills as proof of his love, smiling through every dose. He tightened his grip on her hand, his voice firmer. "Nicole, don't be stubborn. Seven days from now is our wedding. I want you to be healthy. I want you to be the most beautiful bride. And I'll give you a wedding you'll never forget." Her heart shattered at his words. She smiled faintly and, without hesitation, tilted her head back and swallowed the pill. "Okay, I see. You probably have work waiting. Go on." With that, she gently pushed him out the door. Dominic stared at the closed door, a sudden, sharp unease rising in him. ''Has Nicole figured something out?' He quickly dismissed the thought! After all, with her fiery temper, she'd have thrown a fit if she knew the truth. He let out a quiet laugh and turned away. What he didn't know was that inside the room, Nicole had already discarded the pill and was dialing a number.