But as he looked back, his eyes briefly met Vickiâs.
Vicki found herself at a loss for words.
The look in Austinâs eyes was a mirror of Jarrodâs when he was about to punish someone, terrifying enough to make anyone tremble.
Vicki felt even more convinced that Austinâs earlier interactions with her were nothing but a charade.
She had perceived him as a timid, fragile child who hardly dared to speak up.
Now, she realized it was all just a show put on by this cunning little boy.
Actually, Austin was far from the child Vicki had thought he was.
He had cleverly made her lower her defenses by feigning obedience.
Had Austin been openly hostile from the start, nobody would have taken his words seriously.
They might have dismissed his behavior as just a typical childâs aversion to a stepmother and dismissed it.
But by first crafting an image of himself as meek and compliant, his accusations now held much more weight.
Now, everyone was inclined to believe that Austin was being coerced into submitting to Vicki.
However, in reality, he had complied with Vickiâs demands without any pushback.
Vicki had believed she was the one in charge and was manipulating Austin at will.
But, the truth was, she had been the puppet all along.
Austin had laid a clever trap, and she had unwittingly Leaped right into it.
In a rush of panic, Vicki tried to defend herself, stammering, âNo Jarrod, heâs not telling the truth⦠Heâs lyingâ¦â
Vicki nervously tried to pull Jarrod toward her, but Jarrod shoved her away without hesitation.
She lost her balance and awkwardly fell to the ground with a loud âthudâ.
âJarrod⦠Vicki winced in pain, tears welling up in her eyes.
She didnât expect that Jarrod would be so cruel as to push her away.
â
âYouâd better think carefully about what youâre going to say next,â
Jarrod said in a dangerously low voice.
âWhoâs lying, my son, or you?â
Jarrodâs eyes were cold as ice, and the gravity of his words made Vicki shake like a leaf.
Without waiting for a response from Vicki, he shifted his attention over to the nanny, who was already scared out of her wits.
âDid somebody put you up to this?â he asked coldly.
The nanny fell silent, all the color draining from her face.
When she met Jarrodâs bone-chilling gaze, her legs went limp, and her tongue trembled as she opened her mouth to say something.
Vickiâs heart leaped to her throat when she saw that the nanny was about to speak.
The nanny didnât dare to tell the truth now.
Even if she did, it was too late.
She was doomed either way.
Wiping the sweat from her brow, she stammered, âSir⦠I didnât⦠I mean, I wasnâtâ¦â
âYouâd better speak clearly.
â Jarrod interrupted her, his patience running extremely thin.
âLie to me and Iâll make sure your entire family suffers,â he warned, taking a step closer, enveloping the trembling nanny in his looming shadow.
The nannyâs eyes went as wide as saucers, and she was so scared that tears and snot came out.
Initially, she had planned to retire after this job.
She was so blinded by the money Vicki dangled in front of her that she failed to see just how terrifying Jarrod was.
And now that she saw the light, it was too late⦠She had already offended the most terrifying person in the room, sealing her fate.
Vicki could tell that the nanny was hesitating again, so she spoke up to remind the nanny who she worked for.
âCome on, Hurry up and spit it out.
Did someone instruct you to do it? Or have you been falsely accused? Just tell us the truth! If youâve made a mistake, admit it.
No oneâs forcing you to do anythingâ¦â
âVicki, shut up!â Jarrod snapped.
Vicki was startled, but this time, it didnât take long for her to recover.
She expertly squeezed out a few tears and wailed, âJarrod, I also want to know the truth, okay? I want to know the truth more than anyone else here, because the truth is that Iâm innocent!â
Unmoved by her tears, Jarrod said icily, âSay one more word and Iâll drag you out of here myself.
Iâll question her first, and then Iâll question you.
â