The driver thought to himself that if anyone was crazy, Nicole was the one.
A man of Jarrodâs status proposing marriage to her, and she turned it down? If the high society women of Ardlens knew, they would line up for a chance to marry Jarrod.
This woman clearly did not recognize what was good for herâ¦
Seeing the driver ignore her, Nicole turned back to Jarrod.
âJarrod, tell him to stop the car!â
âStop the car,â Jarrod instructed, and the car pulled over.
Then, maintaining his relaxed position, Jarrod lazily asked, âHave you decided yet?â
Before Nicole got out of the car, she stopped in her tracks at Jarrodâs words.
Jarrodâs lips parted slightly.
âNicole, if you leave the car right now, our agreement ends, and believe me, there will be no second chances.
â
He seemed to understand her well, adding indifferently, âI wonât force you.
Please, think it over.
â
Nicole didnât budge.
Her body seemed to have turned to stone at that moment.
She was uncertain of what stepping out of the car might lead to, but the idea of marrying Jarrod seemed utterly preposterous.
How could she possibly marry this man? They were enemies! Despite the fact that they were Austinâs parents, the deep-seated animosity between them was unchangeable.
Nicole didnât want to marry Jarrod, not in this lifetime, and she wouldnât even consider it.
Considering for even another second felt like a betrayal to her late father.
What had driven her father to his fatal leap from that building? Who had cornered him into such despair? Jarrod was partially at play.
These were undeniable truths that left no room for debate.
Taking a deep breath, Nicole placed her hand on the door handle and declared, âIâm very clear about it.
Jarrod, I donât want to marry you.
â
She then opened the door.
Just as she was about to step out of the car, Jarrodâs chilling voice came from behind her.
âSo, you can accept to be my lover, share my bed, but not be part of my family?â
Nicole shivered slightly.
Jarrod had pierced through to her deepest thoughts.
Her agreement to his proposal was merely a temporary safeguard for Austin and Roscoe.
Lacking a better plan at the moment and with Austinâs safety at risk, she felt compelled to compromise.
Once the immediate danger was mitigated, she intended to leave Jarrod.
Entangling their identities further would only complicate her eventual departure, a scenario she couldnât stomach, being permanently linked to Jarrodâs name.
With his acute perception, Jarrod understood all these unspoken thoughts in Nicoleâs mind.
That was precisely why he set conditions that would tightly bind Nicole to him.
Yet, his consideration couldnât be uttered aloud since Nicole hated his core, a fact that he fully grasped.
Jarrod had forced himself not to show any kindness toward Nicole in case she might leverage it.
His attempt to compensate for his previous mistreatment of her was one thing.
However, he could never bear her departure from his side.
Now that Jarrod had seen through that Nicole was the only one he desired, with the complexities of their shared past, his only option was to ensure she couldnât leave his side.
Merely having her stay by his side wasnât sufficient.
She had to be legally recognized as his wife to be truly bound to him.
This arrangement would prevent her from vanishing without a trace whenever she wished, as she had done previously.
There was no way he could let history repeat.
Nicole replied, âSince you understand my intentions, you should realize that I cannot always be near you, becauseâ¦â She paused and then stated clearly, âYour presence repulses me.
How can I possibly stay by your side?â
âIs disgust all that exists between us?â Jarrod asked, his voice uncertain, almost quivering.
Nicole pressed her lips together, choosing to remain silent.
She reflected on the past and knew that she hadnât always hated Jarrod to the core.
There was a time on the mountain road when he had risked his life to save her, after which he had nearly fallen off a cliff.
Back then, she didnât even recognize him, and only found out that it was him once she had saved him.
At that moment, feelings other than hatred had emerged.
Those emotions were not her desire for revenge.
The feelings were intense and unanticipated, like green grass sprouting through the cracks of a barren desert, stubbornly piercing through her icy heart.
However, Nicole quickly extinguished those emerging feelings and felt they should never have arisen in the first place.
She and Jarrod had no future.
She could not allow the inappropriate emotions to disturb and sway her resolve.