He paused, adding teasingly, âI havenât seen him?â
It was clear Alec was toying with Nicole.
He never liked Nicole, deeming the latter unworthy of Jarrodâs affection.
Despite all the tenderness Jarrod gave Nicole upon her return, she didnât hesitate to harm Jarrod if granted by chance.
Furthermore, Nicole even had the mood to date Roscoe on Valentineâs Day while Jarrod was still behind the bars!
Alec doubted Nicole would ever be bothered by the suffering Jarrod had experienced in the prison.
She was simply a heartless woman!
With a smug look, Alec assumed Nicole would be in for a tough time now that Jarrod was released, untouched by those charges.
The idea of Nicole and Roscoe trying to topple Jarrod was utterly ludicrous.
Alec, draping an arm around a woman beside him, casually remarked, âYour little lover worked late last night.
He must be exhausted.
Do you ever wonder why he puts in such long hours? Is it to provide a better life for you?â
Nicoleâs lips pressed tightly together, her silence unyielding.
Alec gave a theatrical sigh and murmured, âWhat a pityâ¦â
Nicole clenched her fists and asked icily, âPity?â
âWell.
.
.
â Alec began, only to leave his sentence unfinished.
âNever mind.
âWhat do you want from me?â Nicole demanded.
Alec shifted slightly and chuckled.
âMiss Lawrence, your questions are so stiff, completely lacking any sincerity.
â
Watching Alec eye the bottle of imported wine on the table, Nicole grabbed it and took a large swig, draining more than half.
âIs this enough?â The strong alcohol scorched Nicoleâs throat, making her wince and cough slightly.
She slammed the bottle down and stared at Alec, her eyes steely, âAlec, are you satisfied now?â
Alec couldnât help but think Nicole might be unhinged.
The drink was indeed strong.
He had intended to make things difficult for her, but he didnât expect her to down two-thirds of the bottle so quickly.
Seeing Alec silent, Nicole grabbed the remaining half of the bottle and emptied it in one gulp.
âStop drinking!â Alecâs expression twisted in frustration.
He cursed internally.
Jarrod hadnât yet decided what to do with Nicole.
Nicole had a stomach condition.
If she drank herself to death, he would be held responsible.
Nicole swayed and clumsily bumped into the table before collapsing on the floor in front of Alec.
Alec was dumbstruck and blurted out, âDamn it! Donât you dare die hereâ¦â
âShut up!â Nicole abruptly stood up, thrusting a fruit fork close to Alecâs neck as if ready to strike.
The two women beside Alec screamed and covered their mouths, while Nicole shot them a fierce look.
âDrop your phones, go to the bathroom, and lock yourselves in.
â
The two women, accustomed to avoiding trouble, knew better than to get involved in situations that didnât concern them.
They quickly dropped their phones and dashed into the bathroom, locking the door behind them.
Alec, overwhelmed with anger, shouted, âAre you out of your mind? How dare you!â
âWhere is he?â Nicole intensified her pressure, drawing a small line of blood from Alecâs neck.
âTell me, whereâs Roscoe? Did you take him?â
Alec suppressed his urge to curse, realizing that the enraged Nicole might actually go through with her threat.
âI didnât take him,â he snapped back.