Vicki had been sticking to Jarrod like glue these past few days.
A while back, Loweâs words had sown a seed of doubt in her mind.
When Vicki had a minor outburst recently, Jarrod didnât bother to comfort her, simply claiming he was occupied.
This left Vicki unsettled, constantly pondering Loweâs insinuation about Jarrodâs reluctance to start a family with her.
It was absurd!
If not with her, then who else would Jarrod even consider having a child with? In just three months, she would become his wife.
Determined to keep a watchful eye on Jarrod and start a family promptly, she was resolved not to give any other woman a chance.
Currently, Vicki sat in Jarrodâs office, awaiting his departure from work for their dinner plans.
However, as the daylight waned, she grew restless with each passing minute of his absence.
Unable to remain idle any longer, she sought out Jarrodâs assistant, Alec.
Alec, appearing hesitant, reluctantly revealed that Jarrod was engaged in an urgent meeting with a business partner.
âWhat?â Vickiâs irritation flared.
To her, the business partnerâs importance paled in comparison to her own.
âHow long will this take?â she demanded.
Alec hesitated before responding, âMr.
Schultz asked me to take you home first.
â
Vickiâs frown deepened.
âTake me home? I can wait a bit longer.
â
âIâm afraid that wonât cut it.
Heâs meeting with some big shot client,â Alec mentioned, a hint of concern in his voice.
Vicki shot Alec a suspicious glance and briskly strode a few paces forward, yanking the VIP meeting room door wide open.
âOh, Miss Hamptonâ¦â Alecâs attempt to intervene was futile.
Vicki surveyed the vacant meeting space, turning abruptly to confront Alec.
âWhereâs Mr.
Schultz?â She and Jarrod had just finalized plans for dinner.
How could Jarrod vanish into thin air like this?
Alec cleared his throat, offering an explanation, âMr.
Schultz had to jet off on an urgent business trip abroad.
Left with no choice, he wanted me to relay his apologies and assure you heâll make it up to you tonight.
â
Vicki seethed with frustration.
Even if it was urgent, a heads-up would have sufficed.
Sheâd traveled all the way to Schultz Group, only to be forgotten.
What could possibly be so pressing that he had to bolt like this?
Fuming, she retrieved her phone, dialing Jarrodâs number, only to be met with a mechanical female voice.
âIâm sorry, the number you have dialed is switched offâ¦â
Vickiâs unease swelled as she noticed the absence of any response from Jarrodâs phone.
Where on earth could he have gone off to? She fixed her gaze on Alec, her words sharp and direct, cutting through the tension.
âAlec, cut the pretense.
Just tell me straight, whereâs Jarrod?â
Alec, predictably tight-lipped, offered his reply, âLook, Iâm not feeding you lies.
Mr.
Schultz really went on a business trip.
Thereâs a big deal brewing in the international market, and he had to handle it alone.
â
Alecâs explanation rang hollow, though.
Yet, he couldnât come up with a convincing story since Jarrod had simply vanished into thin air, leaving even him clueless about Jarrodâs whereabouts.
With Jarrodâs phone off the grid, Alec resorted to quickly inventing excuses while he scrambled to uncover the truth.
In a bid to placate Vickiâs growing concern, Alec motioned to the secretary, who arrived bearing a bag from a fancy jewelry brand.
With a coaxing tone, he presented it to Vicki.
âHereâs something Mr.
Schultz had me order for you a while back.
He meant to hand it over himself, but with his abrupt departure, he asked me to pass it on.
He promised more surprises upon his return.
â
Vicki peered into the box, catching sight of the latest Limited edition âLove of the Centuryâ necklace from the esteemed jewelry brand.
It wasnât something just anyone with deep pockets could snag.