Nicole paused, leaned over, and gently tapped Alecâs shoulder as though dusting him off.
Then, with a twist of irony, she said, âAlec, it Looks like Jarrod doesnât hold you in high regard!â
Alecâs expression soured dramatically.
Nicole smirked and walked away.
She aimed to worsen Alecâs perception of her, intensifying his disdain.
Her goal was to highlight and widen the disconnect between Alecâs and Jarrodâs perspectives, potentially to her advantage.
After all, Alec was far from blameless!
Stepping outside, Nicole inhaled the fresh air deeply.
She entered the car arranged by Jarrod and set off to the company with his men.
Before departing, Nicole cast a glance back at the austere villa, a smile playing on her lips.
Alec struggled to stand up.
Then, a key slipped from his pocket.
It was deliberately dropped, a key heâd always kept close.
Alec made his way back to Jarrodâs room, finding Jarrod reclined on the bed, with a notebook laid out before him.
Upon Alecâs entry, Jarrod asked softly, âDid she take the bait?â
Alec nodded.
Jarrod nodded calmly.
âGood.
â
The room fell into silence.
Jarrodâs gaze shifted to the off-white wall.
He silently curled his lips downward and prayed deeply within.
Nicole, please prove my trust in you wasnât misplaced!
After departing from Jarrodâs villa, Raegan felt a bit sad.
Mitchel, driving, broke the silence.
âYou seem troubled.
Anything you want to share?â
Seeing that he took the initiative to speak, Raegan decided to give it a try and see if it would work.
She said, âMitchel, can you convince Jarrod to spare Nicole?â
âI canât do that,â Mitchel said coldly.
Raeganâs heart sank.
She recalled Nicoleâs caution about keeping Mitchel in the dark.
It was clear as day, just as Raegan sided with Nicole, Mitchel was undeniably loyal to Jarrod.
With little else to say, Raegan merely acknowledged, âUnderstood.
â
She then diverted her gaze to the scenery passing by the window.
Mitchelâs irritation grew.
Why couldnât she just ask a few more questions?
But Raegan dismissed his irritation, her focus lost to the view outside.
Mitchelâs anger intensified even further.
This heartless woman only seemed to acknowledge him when she needed something from him.
As they approached the city, Raegan suddenly demanded, âStop the car!â