âBut I will see him today,â Nicole insisted.
âHow amusing.
What makes you think you can?â Vicki retorted, her disbelief evident.
Vicki was taken aback by Nicoleâs brazenness.
Think she could just walk in and see her child?
In Vickiâs eyes, Nicoleâs declaration was detached from reality.
Nicole responded calmly, âBecause Iâm his mother.
â
Vicki scoffed.
âWhat kind of mother are you? Do you really believe Austin recognizes you as his mother? He listens to everything I say now.
â
At Vickiâs words, a chill passed through Nicole, her worry about Vickiâs influence over Austin gnawing at her.
With Kamilah recently out due to illness, Nicole had lost touch with Austin and was unaware of his current state.
However, she held onto the belief that Austin wouldnât turn away from her.
He was, after all, her own son, and she understood him deeply.
âVicki, your overconfidence might just be your downfall,â Nicole retorted.
Vicki laughed with a triumphant air, gracefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
âOverconfident or not, Jarrod is well aware of the situation.
Under my care, Austin now calls Jarrod âDaddy.
â What could you possibly offer him? Your presence might just poison his mind with your resentment,â Vicki taunted.
Nicoleâs eyes widened in shock.
How could she have been so unaware of such a significant change? Was it possible that Austin had begun to see Jarrod as his father? She pondered this alarming new information.
Nicole had never stopped Austin from referring to Jarrod as âDaddy,â nor had she sown seeds of hatred toward Jarrod in Austinâs mind.
The discord between her and Jarrod was their own issue, and she was intent on keeping Austin away from any negative fallout.
Nicole knew well that Austin felt the lack of a father figure deeply.
Through discussions with Kamilah, she understood that Austin initially resisted Jarrodâs presence, clearly reluctant to call him âDaddy.
â
Nicole, however, was not in the mood for pointless discussions with Vicki now.
Her primary concern was to check on Austin.
âJust yesterday, you threatened to kill my child,â Nicole stated.
âThereâs no need to pretend you care now.
Itâs both insincere and unnecessary.
â
Vicki appeared visibly flustered, realizing she was facing a situation totally different from the one she encountered the previous night.
Jarrodâs residence was under constant surveillance, leaving her with no room for the same level of comfort she enjoyed elsewhere.
Conscious of the cameras and informants scattered throughout the property, Vicki knew she had to tread carefully.
Attempting to maintain her composure, Vicki retorted, âWhat are you insinuating? I care for Austin as if he were my own son.
Donât try to falsely accuse me.
â
Nicole scoffed at Vickiâs feeble attempt to deflect blame and proceeded to enter Jarrodâs house without dignifying her response with further acknowledgment.
âHey, stop!â Vicki persisted, unwilling to let Nicole pass without further confrontation.
Ignoring Vickiâs protests, Nicole continued walking until she reached the access control panel.
With a decisive press, the electric door slid open smoothly.