As they reached the villa, Jarrod stayed in the car, preoccupied with business matters.
Eager to reunite with Austin and Kamilah, Nicole exited the vehicle first.
Upon reaching the entrance, Nicole encountered Vicki, who had been waiting for Jarrod.
When Vicki spotted Nicole, her shock was unmistakable.
âWhat are you doing here?â
Vicki vividly remembered Loweâs adamant promises to torture Nicole, leaving her puzzled as to why Nicole appeared unharmed.
Vicki was still unaware of the details since Lowe had not yet awoken.
Despite Nicoleâs disguise of a hat and mask, the visible bruises on her suggested she had suffered a harsh ordeal, which elicited a fleeting sense of grim satisfaction in Vicki.
Nicole, unfazed by Vickiâs obvious shock, coldly ignored her, showing no interest in any interaction.
Intent on bypassing Vicki, Nicole moved to step forward, but Vicki reacted quickly, grabbing Nicoleâs arm firmly.
âHold up right there.
What do you think youâre doing?â
This confrontation occurred just after Vicki had arrived, finding her key card suddenly nonfunctional.
She was about to call Jarrod when she ran into Nicole.
At that moment, Vicki returned to her usual imperious manner, carrying herself as though she owned the place.
âIâm going inside to see Austin,â Nicole declared.
Her frown deepened as she pulled her hand away from Vicki.
âWho allowed you to see Austin?â Vickiâs face turned steely.
She couldnât understand how Nicole had the nerve to just walk into Jarrodâs house as if granted the entry.
âYou claimed that if I complied with your demands last night, I could visit my child,â Nicole asserted plainly.
Vicki scoffed in disbelief.
âDid I really say that?â
Nicole affirmed, âYes, you did.
You said if I let you demean me, Iâd be allowed to see Austin.
â
Vicki covered her mouth to suppress a snicker.
âAre you out of your mind? What made you think that was true?â
Nicoleâs gaze sharpened.
âOut of my mind? Donât you remember what you said?â
Vickiâs reaction was just as Nicole had predicted.
Nicole understood that Vicki never planned to let her see Austin.
It was all a ruse to degrade her.
Nicole was puzzled by Vickiâs eagerness to torment her, while she saw herself pose no threat and wanted nothing to do with Jarrod.
Nevertheless, Vicki seemed to take pleasure in Nicoleâs misery, as if malevolence was ingrained in her very essence.
âDo you really want to see Austin that desperately?â Vicki asked, already scheming.
Nicole stayed silent, wary of Vickiâs next words.