At Janice's reaction, her expression tightened, and she avoided Bonnie's gaze. Awkwardly, she murmured, "Bon, I'm so sorry... Holden had me under surveillance. I didn't have a chance to make that call."

In truth, Janice did have a chance, but it was a call she never intended to make. Only if Bonnie married Xavian would she receive a generous dowry, enabling her to marry a wealthy, elderly man from the neighboring area. She'd had enough of the harsh life in Dungo Village; marriage was her only escape to a better life.

"Bon, even if I had gotten a chance to call Yvette, do you honestly think she'd come all this way just to help you escape?" Janice thought Bonnie's studies had made her naive. They were just friends. Who would risk everything to travel to Dungo Village for Bon? Impossible, Janice thought.

Bonnie was about to speak when a cough escaped her, but she steadied herself, looking resolute. "Janice," she said, "if Yvette knew about my situation, she would absolutely come to rescue me."

Fearing Bonnie's excitement might worsen her condition, Janice quickly replied, "Alright, I understand."

The room fell quiet. Bonnie was already weak. Her once-round face had grown gaunt over the past few days. Beside her, Janice looked at Bonnie with a tinge of guilt, though helplessness filled her gaze.

Suppressing a cough, Bonnie forced herself to comfort Janice. "Janice, I know it's because of me that you're being watched. I'm sorry for dragging you into this."

Looking at Bonnie's frail state, Janice's resolve wavered momentarily, but she quickly recovered. Bon is young and doesn't understand Xavian's worth. Once she's married, she'll realize that life with him will be just like any other marriage. It doesn't matter who one ends up with, Janice mused.

With some effort, Bonnie reached into her pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper, her voice barely a whisper. "Janice, I have one last request. After I get married, call the number on this paper. Just tell him that I'm glad I knew him, and I hope he'll have a wonderful future."

Janice's eyes lit up. "Bon, does that mean you've agreed to marry Xavian?"

Bonnie nodded with unshakable determination. "Yes, I've agreed." She had mentally prepared herself for the worst. In truth, she had no intention of actually marrying Xavian.

Janice took the slip of paper, noticing a crumpled photograph. It looked as if Bonnie had held it tightly for a long time. When Janice saw the man's face, her eyes sparkled. What a handsome man, she thought.

Hiding her excitement, Janice cautiously probed. "Bon, is he your boyfriend? Is he the one you're in love with?"

Bonnie, oblivious to Janice's shift in tone, softly shook her head. "No… he's not my boyfriend. He's… he's just someone I love."

Janice hesitated. Not her boyfriend?

Carefully, she tucked the photo away. "Bon, is he a classmate? His clothes look like designer labels. He must be…"

Romme paused, sensing Janice's questions were odd, but she nodded. "His family's from Betrico. I don't know much about what they do, though."

Janice's mood soured slightly. Does Bonnie think just because I never went to school, I don't recognize luxury brands? The man's clothes scream money!

An idea struck Janice. "Bon, I'll leave your food here. Make sure you eat while it's still warm. I have things to take care of, including sewing your wedding dress, so just rest and wait for your big day three days from now. I'll check in on you tomorrow." She paused. "And don't worry, Bon. On your wedding day, I'll sneak away and call that man. I'll pass along what you wanted to say."

Bonnie nodded. "Thank you, Janice."

Janice smiled faintly and left.

Inside, Bonnie looked at the food, mustered her strength, and sat down. Her hands trembled as she lifted a bite, but the food tasted like nothing. As she ate, tears fell onto her plate. I was such a fool, blindly trusting her words, she thought bitterly. The woman had claimed Bonnie's grandmother was ill and hospitalized, hurrying Bonnie back from Seacrity, only for Holden to trap her and force her to marry Xavian. A special man? She scornfully thought, "This is all just Holden and Dr. Hansen's twisted scheme to deceive the villagers… Grandma passed away long ago. Holden has been lying to me all along."

Just as Bonnie cried, she heard three quick taps on the window, then another soft knock. Setting down her fork, she tiptoed to the window, whispering, "Who… who's there?"

The window opened, revealing the face Bonnie had dreamed of seeing. She stood stunned, almost afraid the sight might vanish. She rubbed her eyes, wiped away her tears, and asked in disbelief, "Yvette? Is it really you, Yvette?" She pinched her arm. "Ouch." The pain's real. So is Yvette!

Yvette, dressed in black, with a cap pulled low, stood with a cool, steady gaze. "Yes, it's me."

Realizing it was Yvette, Bonnie quickly glanced around. "Yvette, how did you get here? How did you even find this place?"

Yvette's calm gaze remained unfazed by Bonnie's excitement. "Step aside. Let me in first."

Bonnie immediately stepped back, watching as Yvette gracefully swung through the window. Before Yvette could regain her balance, Bonnie threw herself into her arms, hugging her tightly.

Bonnie sobbed, clinging to Yvette. "Oh, Yvette, you're finally here! I… they were starving me, and they're trying to make me marry Xavian. I just want to go back to school. I miss you. I miss Andrew. I don't want to stay in Dungo Village another second…"

She continued for nearly ten minutes. When she finally stopped, her eyes were swollen. Still clinging to Yvette, she looked up, her face a mess. She sniffled. "Did you come here alone? That's so dangerous!"

Yvette pointed to Bonnie's hands, a silent signal. Bonnie quickly let go, remembering Yvette disliked close proximity.

Yvette surveyed the room. "No, I didn't come alone. Jeremiah, Andrew, and two other friends are with me. They're outside the village. They haven't come in yet."

Bonnie's eyes widened. "Yvette… did you say Andrew came too?"

Yvette nodded slowly, her tone casual. "Yeah. He's been really worried about you."

A blush crept up Bonnie's cheeks. "I didn't expect him to be so thoughtful."

Seeing Bonnie's shy smile, Yvette smirked. Her gaze was cold, but held a hint of mischief. "So, Bonnie, tell me everything. What's going on? And what's the deal with your marriage to Xavian?"