âAlright.
I also encountered Roscoe at the hospital.
â
Jarrodâs face hardened briefly, but he quickly composed himself.
Jarrodâs silence left Alec wondering what he could be thinking, but years of working together had made Alec forthright.
He didnât hesitate to speak his mind, even at the risk of consequences.
âSir, I saw your wife talking to Mr.
Watts.
Their meeting was probably not planned, but she appeared genuinely worried about him.
â
Alec added, his tone tinged with disapproval, âSir, youâve been so kind to her, but she doesnât seem to appreciate your efforts.
Sheâs still involved with Mr.
Watts.
It looks like.
.
â
âIt was a mere chance encounter,â Jarrod abruptly cut in.
Alec was taken aback by Jarrodâs defensive reaction.
He pressed his lips together.
âMaybe youâre right.
They did nothing inappropriate.
But I believe that since she is married to you, she should stay away from Mr.
Watts.
â
After all, Roscoeâs case was different.
He had once eloped with Nicole, and they shared a deep, albeit complicated, past.
Nicoleâs marriage to Jarrod wasnât out of love but necessity.
Alec feared old feelings might resurface, causing Jarrod pain.
âAlso, sir, Iâve noticed something strange about Mr.
Watts.
His eyes are cold and distant, and he always wears the same expression.
I once thought perhaps, he had a problem with your wife, but he seemed to look at everyone that way.
Once, he even bumped into a cleanerâs cart and simply ignored the latter.
The woman who was with him had to apologize on his behalf, like sheâs always cleaning up his mess.
â
Jarrodâs face grew tense.
He recalled Roscoe as being polite and well mannered.
What had happened to change Roscoe?
Alec continued, âHeâs not the same as he used to be.
Itâs like his soul is gone, leaving only an empty shell behind.
â
That was how Alec felt about Roscoe.
Something about Roscoe seemed quite off.
Jarrod pondered for a moment before instructing, âInvestigate this.
Find out if anything amiss has happened with the Watts family.
Also, see if Roscoe has been going to any hospitals.
Acquire his medical records if possible.
â
Alec nodded.
âGot it.
Iâll start right away.
â
After Alec left, Jarrod rubbed his temples, holding his phone and about to make a call.
just then, Doreenâs mother, Hallie, called.
He picked up the call.
âHello, how.
â
Before Jarrod could finish, Hallieâs panicked voice cut him off.
âJarrod, you have to help Doreen!â
Hallie cried as she explained, âI donât know what happened, but Doreen has been arrested for assault.
The lawyer said only you can help.
The name of the woman who filed the report reported is Nicole something⦠Sheâs linked to you.
â
Hallie continued talking, not lett ng Jarrod get a word in, âJarrod, whatâs happening? Doreen is my only daughter.
Canât you manage the women in your life? How could she have my daughter arrested?â
Annoyed by her outburst, Jarrod pinched the bridge of his nose.
âHer name is Nicole.
Sheâs my wife.
â He wanted to make it clear that Nicole wasnât just any woman, but his legally wedded spouse.
Hallie was shocked.
âWhat? Youâre married? How am I not aware? And what about Vicki?â
Hallie had just come back from a trip and didnât know about Jarrodâs breakup with Vicki.
She had always believed Vicki was meant to be Jarrodâs wife.
After all, apart from Vicki, there hadnât been any other woman in Jarrodâs life all these years.
Moreover, Vicki had charmed both Doreen and Hallie, making them quite fond of her.
Naturally, they were biased in her favor and viewed her as a good match for Jarrod.
âI no longer have anything to do with Miss Hampton,â Jarrod responded coldly.
âI have kept my marriage under wrap.
We just got the marriage certificate and kept a low profile about it.
â
Both Jarrod and Nicole were past the age for extravagant celebrations, and even if Jarrod had wanted a big wedding, Nicole wouldnât have subscribed to it.
Her past scandals had marred her reputation, and a lavish wedding would only dig up old grudges and gossip, causing her a lot of stress.
Jarrod wouldnât put her through that.