Jarrod didnât even spare the nanny another glance.
He barked at the bodyguards, âGet this bitch out of my sight and interrogate her someplace else.
I donât care what you have to do.
Just find out who hired her to hurt my son!â
The bodyguards immediately dragged the crying nanny away, kicking and screaming.
The moment the nannyâs pained cries faded away, Jarrodâs cold gaze landed on Vickiâs pale face.
When their eyes met, Vicki visibly stiffened.
Her face, which was usually calm, was wrought with panic.
âNo, Jarrod, youâve got it all wrong.
I didnât poison anyone.
It was him.
Heâs lying! Heâs slandering me! This woman mustâve instigated him.
Itâs her! Sheâs the one whoâ¦â
âSlap!â A crisp sound echoed through the air.
The next moment, blood trickled from the corner of Vickiâs mouth.
Vicki looked at her attacker in disbelief.
It was none other than Nicole.
âCrazy bitch! How dare you hit meâ¦â
Feeling extremely aggrieved, Vicki turned to Jarrod for help.
She tearfully sobbed.
âJarrod, are you seriously going to let this woman insult me like this?â
Before Jarrod could respond, Nicole butted in harshly.
âAre you kidding me? I didnât hit you hard enough! You not only poisoned Austinâs nanny, but you even wanted to poison such a weak and frail child.
Have you no shame? Vicki, I swear to God I wonât let you get this away with this!â
Nicoleâs eyes turned as sharp and vicious as a hawkâs as she warned Vicki.
Vicki cradled her swollen cheek and cried pitifully.
âJarrod, say somethingâ¦â
Despite Vickiâs tearful and pitiful display, Jarrod remained silent.
Vicki sensed that her reckless words had provoked him.
âJarrod, I didnât mean what I said.
â Vicki sobbed, shielding her face as if burdened by guilt.
âI just⦠I couldnât fathom that Austin would accuse me of such a dreadful thing after all Iâve done for him.
â
Refusing to acknowledge her wrongdoings, Vicki clung to the belief that Austin possessed a cunning far beyond her own.
She couldnât conceive that Austin, merely a boy, would resort to such tactics out of desperation.
âs BunnyBookery However, Austin possessed a wisdom beyond his years, understanding the imperative of survival and self-preservation.
Had he been less astute, he might not have endured.
âI swear on my life that I never instructed anyone to harm Austin,â
Vicki asserted through clenched teeth, adamant in maintaining her innocence.
âYou canât trust a single word Austin utters.
Heâs fabricating lies, betraying those who nurtured him like an ungrateful ingrate.
Clearly, his upbringing is to blame.
â
Jarrodâs voice sent chills down her spine.
âIf you had truly cared for him, he would never have spoken such accusations.
â
âIâ¦â Vickiâs Lips parted, but she hesitated, fearing her carefully constructed facade of kindness would unravel.
She felt Austin couldnât gather evidence to support his allegations, and she had taken pains to avoid direct harm to him.
With no evidence against her and her unwavering denial, Vicki believed they were powerless against her.
Her mind raced with these reassuring thoughts.
Jarrodâs intense gaze locked with Vickiâs as he reminded her, âDo you recall our conversation that day?â
Vickiâs thoughts drifted back, vividly recalling Jarrodâs words.
He had admitted that he would only consider marrying her if she genuinely embraced Austin.
Without hesitation, Vicki had agreed, a choice any woman in her position would have made.
At the time of her acquiescence, Vicki had been confident in her ability to ignore Austinâs presence, as long as he refrained from interfering with her life.