âIâll follow your instructions, but stay away from my child, or Iâll make you regret it,â Nicole warned.
Vicki just laughed again.
She completely dismissed Nicoleâs threat.
What could Nicole really do in such a state? Austin seemed even more delicate.
With a mere word, she could order their elimination if she chose to.
Just like now, despite her internal resistance, Nicole had to comply.
Vicki savored the control, reveling in the power it gave her.
It felt exhilarating.
She declared, âAs long as you behave, I wonât harm him.
Honestly, Iâm not interested in your child.
My focus is on you, Miss Lawrence.
Perform well when you arrive, and if you impress me, I might even show some kindness to your son.
How does that sound?â
âFine, just keep your promise.
â Nicole glared at Vicki and warned, âIf you dare harm Austin, Iâll make sure the entire Hampton family pays dearly.
â
The whole Hampton family was a rotten bunch.
Vicki, Lowe, and Wayneâ¦
âs BunnyBookery None of them had any regard for human life.
But Vicki was utterly unmoved by Nicoleâs words.
She deemed Nicoleâs defiant stance ridiculous even already in a pitiful state, With a casual toss of her hair, Vicki remarked, âI wonât disturb you any longer.
6:30 PM, Kingbel Club.
Donât be late.
â
Vicki turned and walked away, her high heels tapping audibly with each step.
Once Vicki was gone, Nicole could no longer maintain her composure and crumpled to the floor next to the bed.
The floor was cold, yet her heart felt even colderâ¦
Tonight marked the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter.
She was certain that more challenges lay ahead.
She wasnât sure if she could withstand this next onslaught.
But for Austinâs sake, she had to remain strong.
Nicole ignored the doctorâs advice and insisted on leaving the hospital.
Reluctantly, the doctor agreed to let her go.
Once the discharge paperwork was finished, Nicole was surprised to see an unexpected amount of money in her bank account.
It seemed Alec had deposited the money.
Nicole quickly transferred the amount equivalent to her hospital bills to the Schultz Groupâs company account.
She had no desire to keep the money or to be indebted to Jarrod.
Right now, she was keen on cutting all ties with him and focusing solely on getting Austin back in her arms.
This morning, she had looked for medical records of Derek at this hospital and checked with nearby hospitals, but no one had heard of him.
No one knew where Derek was, and there was a good chance he was no longer alive.
It was probably impossible to contact Leighton.
Leighton has been exposed, and Alec would definitely take the necessary actions to deal with the situation completely.
Nicole understood that Alec was the kind of person who, once he acted, wouldnât leave a single clue behind.
After two weeks of following leads, her efforts had come to a disappointing end.
Feeling desperate was unavoidable.
However, Nicole couldnât waste time pitying herself.
There were more crucial tasks at hand.
Nicole went back to her room to gather her things.
Meanwhile, Roscoe waited in the corridor upstairs, unsure of what he was waiting for.
Then, he caught sight of a slim figure downstairs.
That unmistakable sense of recognition hit him.
It was her againâ¦
Nicole seemed utterly defeated, walking aimlessly, almost floating through space.
Roscoe couldnât shake the sympathy for Nicole, once again his hand rested on his heart.
What was happening? Why was his heart always out of control whenever he saw herâ¦