Yet, Alecâs ongoing observations at the hospital hinted that the situation was even more intricate than it seemed.
It appeared that Jamie wasnât working by herself.
There was someone else pulling the strings, someone who had even orchestrated Jamie undergoing surgery to resemble Nicole.
Back when Jamie vanished, she left everything behind and stayed under the radar, which suggested she couldnât have afforded such high-end surgery by herself.
Clearly, someone else had financed her transformation.
But who could it be? This individual was familiar with both Jamie and how important Nicole was to Jarrod.
Jarrod mulled over the possibilities but, at the moment, he had no concrete leads.
However, since the one pulling the strings behind Jamie had made a mistake, uncovering the truth would not be impossible.
Yetâ¦
Jarrod glanced at the door, curious about Nicoleâs decision.
In the kitchen, Nicole observed the housekeeper preparing the hangover soup.
As it neared completion, she suggested the housekeeper take a break, assuring the housekeeper that she could handle the rest.
The housekeeper, assuming Nicole would serve the soup to Jarrod herself, left without giving it another thought.
Nicole gazed at the bowl, her mind elsewhere.
It wasnât until she reached for it and flinched from the heat that she realized sheâd burned herself.
âOuch!â she murmured, retracting her hand quickly to nurse her burn.
Just then, footsteps approached from behind.
âAre you okay?â Jarrod asked, examining her hand closely.
Her fingertips had turned a light pink from the burn.
âIâm fine,â Nicole replied, her voice tinged with a nervousness that made her sound less confident than usual.
Silently, Jarrod took her by the hand and guided her to the sink to run cold water over the burn.
After that, he fetched a tube of ointment from beneath the table.
As he gently applied the ointment, he lightly scolded, âWhat had you so distracted that you didnât notice the bowl was hot?â
âs BunnyBookery The cool ointment was soothing when applied.
Nicole found herself briefly lost in thought, gazing at her fingertips.
Jarrod remained silent as he finished, waving her hand gently to dry the ointment, ensuring it wouldnât stick.
Watching Jarrod, memories of her parents surfaced in Nicoleâs mind.
Her parents had shared a profound love.
Despite aging, her mother would playfully lament to her father about every minor injury.
Her father cherished her mother and treated her tenderly, creating a nurturing home.
Growing up, Nicole was vibrant and joyful, often hearing praises for her parentsâ warm relationship.
However, despite their deep connection, fate cruelly parted them, with one mysteriously ending his life and one remaining alive but unconscious.
These memories made Jarrodâs cooling breeze feel almost bitter.
Nicole withdrew her hand abruptly.
âThatâs enough.
It doesnât hurt anymore,â she said, her voice turning distant.
Jarrod didnât insist.
Standing abruptly, Nicole headed over to retrieve the hangover soup.
Returning, she handed it to Jarrod.
âDrink this.
Itâs warm.
â
Jarrod examined the dark soup and inquired, âDid you make this?â