Chapter 2180: Chapter 2186

With that in mind, Jarrod resolved to arrange a full medical checkup for Austin the next day.

Jarrod turned to Nicole with a cold expression and said, “You hid him away, unable to give him a decent life, and now he’s so fragile.

I don’t think you’re fit to raise this child.

”

Jarrod assumed Austin’s pallor was due to malnutrition, unaware of the serious illness Austin faced.

Nicole’s anger erupted.

She snatched off her shoe and hurled it at Jarrod, striking him on the shoulder.

“What do you know, Jarrod!” she spat, glaring at him with a deep, swirling hatred.

Though the impact was minor to Jarrod, his pride couldn’t tolerate such a challenge.

His expression hardened as he scoffed.

“What do I know? I know about you cavorting with another man while leaving my son somewhere else with a nanny.

”

He jabbed a finger at her face, his voice venomous.

“Nicole, just for that, you don’t stand a chance of winning custody!”

“Why should I hide?” Nicole laughed heartily as if the question was the punchline of a joke.

“Jarrod, why on earth should I hide?”

Jarrod’s expression contorted with frustration as he faced her, knowing the reasons all too well but refusing to admit his faults.

To him, Nicole was meant to be his, regardless of the time passed or their distance apart.

“If you hadn’t been so overbearing, would I really need to hide?”

Nicole fixed him with a steady gaze.

“Tell me, do you actually love Austin as a father, or is there some ulterior motive?”

Jarrod clenched his fists, his silence a testament to his undeniable intent to keep Nicole by his side at any cost.

“You know very well in your heart, don’t you?” Nicole sneered, her resolve hardening.

“I won’t relinquish custody of my child.

I’ll gather all the evidence I need and see you in court!”

Jarrod almost laughed at the challenge.

“Suing me? Nicole, you’re in over your head.

”

But Nicole merely smiled, undeterred.

“Life is a constant battle, Jarrod.

Remember the glory you once claimed? Look at you now.

This is my victory.

”

Jarrod’s face turned pale.

Nicole’s words emphasized how the Schultz family’s fortunes had waned since the heights he had once restored upon his return.

The Schultz Group, rocked by Nicole’s relentless maneuvers, had slipped from the top ten, leaving Jarrod desperate for an alliance with the Hampton family to reclaim their former glory.

Yet, with billions still at his disposal, squashing Nicole seemed as effortless as crushing an ant underfoot.

Reading the contempt in his eyes, Nicole retorted boldly, “Even a starved camel is larger than a horse, and even if you’re now a hundred, a thousand times stronger than me, I fear you not.

I have nothing to lose.

”

Tragically, both her child and her ailing mother were under Jarrod’s control.

Nicole had tried to persuade Dora to leave with her, but Dora, lost to consciousness, refused to abandon the sanctuary of the sanatorium.

That sanatorium had become a fortress for her unresponsive mother.

Left with no other option, Nicole braced herself to meet the challenge, even at the risk of failure.

After all, what more did she have to lose? She knew Roscoe shared her resolve.

“Roscoe and I are serious.

I’ve accepted his proposal.

In my heart, he’s already my husband,” Nicole declared with conviction.

With those words, she vowed never to step into the Oasis Apartment, this prison.

Suddenly, a muffled “Bang” echoed ominously.

Jarrod’s face flushed with rage as he threw the lamp beside him forcefully.