Gossip in Osview accuses Celia Brooks of being trafficked and 'ruined,' and claims she used her looks to win Nicholas Holden. Nicholas storms into the Brooks house, silencing rumor‑mongers with threats and insisting Celia loves him. That night a stranger tries to harass Celia; Nicholas rushes in, fights the attacker and is stabbed while protecting her. As he vows to marry her, Celia, shaken, says, "I have given you a hundred chances... this is the ninety‑ninth time," warning that if he strikes the hundredth blow the Celia who loves him will be gone. Nicholas lies injured; the countdown stands.