At that moment, Nicole felt overwhelmed, as if lightning had struck her, her heart aching intensely.
Tears she had been holding back began to fall onto her arm.
She tried to steady her breathing, softly telling herself, âIâm sorry⦠Sorry, sweetheart.
Mommy has made a lot of mistakesâ¦â
When Roscoe walked in, he saw Nicole asleep next to Austin, curled up in a ball.
Austinâs tiny hand was still clutching Nicoleâs finger.
Her eyelashes were damp, a sight that made Roscoeâs heart flutter.
He realized Nicole wasnât as cold as she seemed.
Her soft side came out when she was by herself.
She was dealing with more pain and exhaustion than anyone knew.
Not wanting to disturb her sleep, Roscoe gently covered her with a light blanket and made sure Austin was comfortable before his departure.
Stepping out of the room, Roscoe noticed Nicoleâs phone quietly buzzing on the table.
An unknown number kept calling.
Raising an eyebrow, Roscoe had a pretty good guess about who it could be.
As soon as Roscoe picked up the phone, a manâs frantic voice hit him.
âNicole, get out here right now.
Iâm telling youâ¦â
âSheâs sleeping,â Roscoe cut in.
There was a pause on the other end, then the sound of the man breathing heavily.
âI need Nicole to pick up the phone!â Jarrod spat the words out, teeth clenched.
Roscoe kept his tone light.
âDonât you get it? Sheâs sleeping.
But if youâve got a message, Iâm here to pass it along.
â
The sound of Jarrodâs teeth grinding filtered through the phone.
âAnd who might you be? Who the hell are you?â
Before Roscoe could reply, Jarrod exploded, âListen up.
Donât you dare touch her! Donât move her! Just leave immediately, or Iâll make you regret it!â
Roscoeâs voice was calm and untroubled, âDo you think youâre still the one who could do whatever you pleased in Ardlens?â
Over the last five years, the once dominant Schultz Empire had noticeably declined.
The wonders heâd performed in under three years were undone by his own indulgence, leaving many ventures unattended.
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Yet, Jarrod remained among the top ten tycoons of Ardlens, his influence diminished but still significant.
He was not someone easily challenged.
Enraged, Jarrod asked with a stern voice, âWho are you, exactly?â
Roscoe responded with a Light laugh, âMy identity isnât important.
Just know, youâll never be with her again.
â
Jarrod felt those words hit him hard.
The thought of Nicole being forever out of his reach was unbearable.
He was determined to win her back, refusing to give up.
But Roscoeâs following words hit him even harder.
âYouâd remember youâre not worthy of her if you hadnât forgotten what you had done to her and her family.
â Roscoeâs tone was flat.
It was a reminder of Jarrodâs previous wrongdoings, a fact that couldnât be undone.