âAlright.
Nicole left immediately, driving the car Roscoe had arranged for her.
â
Nicole arrived at the villa to find the guards at the door expecting her.
They let her through with little resistance.
As Nicole was about to head upstairs, she noticed Jarrod waiting at the top, seemingly expecting her.
Her anger flared up, and she couldnât help but slap him hard.
âJarrod, are you even human? How could you do this to Austin?â
She raised her hand for another strike, but Jarrod seized her wrist, sneering, âSo youâve decided to come back? Didnât get too cozy with your lover?â
Nicole rolled her eyes.
Jarrod was being entirely unreasonable, blaming her when he was the one who had kept her from seeing Austin.
Nicole was furious, but her worry for Austin outweighed her anger, and she didnât want to escalate things with Jarrod.
âLet go of me, Jarrod.
I need to get Austin to the hospital!â she insisted.
Surprisingly, Jarrod didnât argue with her, loosening his grip and letting her go upstairs.
Pushing the door open, Nicole found Austin lying on the bed, with the nanny by his side.
âHowâs Austin âNicoleâs voice caught in her throat at the sight of the frail child.
The nanny turned to Nicole and gently squeezed her hand.
âMiss, donât worry.
His temperature is already dropping.
The doctor just gave him a shot to bring down the fever.
â
Only then did Nicole notice that fever-reducing patches covered Austinâs forehead and underarms.
His face looked more relaxed, his expression less troubled as he slept.
âWhat happened?â Nicole asked, confused.
Wasnât Jarrod against taking Austin to a doctor?
For years, every time Nicole heard about Austin being ill, she couldnât sleep or eat properly.
Although she and Austin hadnât much time together and the emotional distance often kept her from reaching out, she was always deeply concerned for him.
She worried she wouldnât have enough time to see him grow up.
âIt was Mr.
Schultz who arranged for the doctor,â the nanny explained.
She had also thought Jarrod wouldnât allow it, but after she made the call, Jarrod surprisingly agreed and had the doctor visit to treat Austinâs fever.
The nanny, having accompanied Austin through similar episodes over the years, recognized the doctorâs competence.
Within a few moments, the doctor identified Austinâs heart problem, administered an antipyretic injection, and applied fever-reducing patches.
After leaving, the doctor seemed to have shared something with Jarrod, as Jarrodâs expression grew more serious when he came back to check on Austin before leaving again.
Upon hearing the nannyâs account, Nicole realized Jarrod was using Austinâs illness to manipulate her return.
That f@cking bastard! Just as she suspected, he was willing to exploit his own child for his gain.
That was why Nicole had hidden Austin away for years, fearful he would become a pawn in Jarrodâs game.
She hated Jarrod to the core but remained by Austinâs side, watching over his health.
By evening, Austin briefly woke up.
Upon seeing Nicole, Austin reached out his small hand with a hint of sadness and whispered hoarsely, âMommy, hugâ¦â
Nicole was taken aback.
Austin often clung to Roscoe but rarely acted so needy around her, usually presenting a more mature demeanor.