âSir, there are plenty of women out there.
Why do you have to get stuck on her?â Alec couldnât comprehend it.
What did Jarrod see in Nicole? Even shot by Cupidâs arrows, at least with a woman who worthed his sacrifice.
To Alec, Nicole was heartless, having inflicted harm upon Jarrod on several occasions.
âAlec, have you ever been in love?â Jarrod suddenly asked.
âNo,â Alec answered truthfully.
Romance had never been a priority for him, nor had he encountered anyone who sparked his interest.
It wasnât that Alecâs standards were excessively high, but his rude demeanor and the nature of women he met, who were usually after his money or had hidden agendas, meant that none really valued him for who he was.
He had never fallen in love, and now, with his disability, he believed it was even less likely.
Alec had given up on the idea of marriage and children.
With numerous enemies, he preferred not to expose anyone else to his perilous existence.
For him, solitude, devoid of any ties, was the most liberating and comfortable choice.
Jarrod looked at Alec with a meaningful look.
âOnce you fall in love, youâll comprehend what itâs like to knowingly walk into danger, to willingly trap yourself in trouble even when you see a clear way out.
â
âIn this life, youâre my brother through thick and thin, and Nicole is the one I cannot bear to lose,â Jarrod added, making his stance clear.
Alec understood that no argument of his would change Jarrodâs mind.
He hadnât intended to sow discord, but it pained him to see Jarrodâs affection go unreciprocated.
âI understand.
I wonât bring it up again,â Alec answered, bowing his head.
âAnd keep moving on.
Once youâve healed, work on strengthening your left arm.
The company still relies on you,â Jarrod ordered.
He knew Alec well.
Forcing Alec to retire with a pile of money would be more painful than death.
Alec needed to feel valued.
Indeed, a flicker of hope ignited in Alecâs previously dim eyes, though his spirit seemed a bit crushed.
âsir, Iâm not sure what Iâm capable of anymore,â Alec said his mind, his confidence waning.
âI need you to lead, not to fight,â Jarrod clarified.
âLook at me.
When was the last time I had to physically fight? Thatâs what bodyguards are for.
Your job is to oversee the companyâs safety, not to engage in combat.
This isnât Amolica, you get that?â
âI understand.
â Alec nodded, feeling embarrassed.
He realized how irrational his thoughts of giving up had been.
It was just the loss of one arm.
People with disabilities didnât cease to live full lives because of their impairments.
Many led active, satisfying lives.
He had been shortsighted.
âIâll make a quick recovery,â Alec assured.
âTake your time.
â Jarrod paused a bit and then said, âRegarding Roscoeâ¦â
Jarrod paused, deep in thought, before he finally spoke.
âDonât kill him.
â
Alecâs eyes widened in disbelief.
âSir, you want to spare Roscoe?â
âI gave Nicole my word,â Jarrod replied firmly.
Alecâs jaw tightened.
âFine, but Iâll only promise not to kill him.
â
At that moment, Alec wanted nothing more than to eliminate Roscoe.
In his simplistic mindset, he believed that without Roscoe, Nicole would fall in line and stop provoking Jarrod.
However, Alec failed to grasp that the rift between Jarrod and Nicole ran much deeper than Roscoe.
The issues dividing them were far more significant and were riddled with misunderstandings that had festered over time, creating wounds that were hard to heal.
Jarrod remained stone-faced.
While he had made a promise to spare Roscoeâs life, he hadnât guaranteed that Roscoe wouldnât suffer harm.