Jarrod moved closer quietly, each step intentional.
Nicole faced his cold, intimidating stare, her heart racing.
It was hard not to feel nervous.
If Jarrod chose to attack her here, in his own place, she wouldnât stand a chance.
âAre you threatening me?â Jarrodâs voice, deep and authoritative, echoed through the room, intensifying the tension.
Nicoleâs hands tightened into fists as she looked him in the eye.
âItâs not a threat, but a proposition.
I need your protection for Roscoe because he had saved Austinâs life.
If not for him, Austin and I would have died on that sea cliff years ago.
We owe him our lives.
â
Nicole understood Jarrodâs weak spots well.
Provoking him now could put Roscoe at even greater risk.
Her priority was to ensure Austinâs safety, and then to secure protection for Roscoe.
While this was an easy task for Jarrod, it posed a huge challenge for her and Roscoe.
In the unpredictable environment of Ardlens, surviving without solid support was nearly impossible.
Furthermore, Nicole knew she had made many enemies along the way.
Though she didnât go looking for trouble, she had to confront it head-on.
If it werenât for Jemmaâs advice last night, Nicole might not have shifted her perspective so quickly.
Jemma had advised, âRelying only on yourself doesnât make you noble.
If it leads to misery, people will just laugh at you.
Wise people take every legal opportunity that benefits them.
The right path is the one that helps you.
Why bother with what irrelevant people thinkâ¦â
Nicole knew Jemma meant to give her sound advice.
After so many setbacks, it was time to adopt a smarter strategy, to protect her loved ones in a different way.
This approach would also make life easier for those she wanted to protect.
Nicole snapped back to reality, locking eyes with Jarrod.
âI need you to settle this debt for Austinâs sake.
You owe it to Austin and me.
â
Among all the difficulties and pain from the past, Jarrod was at play.
They all owed Austin greatly.
âI donât owe Roscoe anything,â Jarrod responded.
His words implied he acknowledged a debt to Nicole and Austin, but not to Roscoe.
Jarrod assumed without Roscoeâs intervention, perhaps Nicole and he would not have faced such trials.
And Austin might have been born under his watchful care, receiving the finest medical attention.
Nicole stayed calm despite his rejection.
âSo, we canât reach an agreement?â
It felt like a fierce tug-of-war, where any show of weakness could mean defeat.
Nicole couldnât afford to back down.
Leaving Roscoe behind just to save Austin was unthinkable.
Jarrodâs refusal to recognize the debt to Roscoe was crucial for her.
Without Roscoeâs intervention, she and Austin might not have survived.
Roscoe was a decent and gentle man who treated Austin Like his own and showed Nicole immense respect.
Nicole simply couldnât leave Roscoe behind.
If she didnât stand her ground today, Jarrod would learn her boundaries, potentially endangering Roscoe.
Nicole was certain Jarrod would not harm Austin.
Her worries were more about the potential dangers associated with Jarrodâs circle, not Jarrod himself.
Therefore, her stance was not about neglecting Austinâs safety but about maintaining her principles and not forsaking those who had supported her.
This was the same principle she taught Austin.
Jarrod looked at Nicole intently for a long moment.
Then, he announced, âYour clothes will be brought to you.
Get dressed and come downstairs.
â