Hallie, feeling powerless, responded with bitterness, âI canât change his mind anymore.
Your uncle is too focused on his wife and her sickly child.
â
Doreenâs resentment toward Austin was palpable, rooted in her disdain for Nicole, Austinâs biological mother.
This aversion extended to Austin as well, whom she dismissively called âlittle bastardâ regularly.
Alarmed by the conversation, Doreen panicked.
âMom, I canât comply with Jarrodâs plans to send me away.
It feels like heâs trying to get rid of me.
â
âRelax, Iâll figure out something.
Iâll try to talk some sense into Jarrod,â Hallie soothed Doreen, trying to alleviate the tension.
Holding her motherâs hand firmly, Doreen pleaded, âYou have to convince Jarrod to let me stay.
I donât care about anything else.
I just donât want to leave.
â
Hallie scolded, âIf you had just listened to me and avoided meddling with that woman, you wouldnât have been in this mess.
â
Doreen replied with frustration, âIt was Vickiâs idea.
You know how much I despise Jarrodâs wife.
I couldnât resist stepping on her.
How were we to know Jarrod wouldnât hand over the original video of that night to the Hamptons, giving that woman a chance to hurt us? Itâs infuriating!â
âListen up, Doreen, you need to keep your distance from Vicki.
She might appear friendly, but sheâs cunning.
Youâre likely to become her pawn without even realizing it,â Hallie cautioned.
Hallie, more insightful, harbored a dislike for both Nicole and Vicki, finding all of Jarrodâs associates difficult to handle.
âVicki has never wronged me.
She understands my situation better than anyone,â Doreen asserted, convinced of Vickiâs empathy toward her anguish over Roscoeâs indifference, which fueled her resentment toward Nicole.
Doreen truly believed Vicki was on her side, offering outlets for her frustrations.
Exasperated and disappointed, Hallie tapped Doreen on the forehead.
âYouâre so naive.
Youâd be exploited and wouldnât even notice you were helping them benefit!â
Doreen countered defiantly, âVicki hasnât betrayed me.
Enough.
I know what Iâm doing.
â
Hallie, frustrated, retorted sharply, âYou donât understand anything.
Iâm warning you.
While I try to negotiate with Jarrod, donât stir up any more trouble.
Understand?â
Doreen offered a superficial nod, masking the bubbling resentment she harbored toward Nicole.
But Doreen was at a loss, lacking the wits to concoct a scheme against Nicole.
She knew she needed advice, and Vicki was the only one she could turn to.
Hallie never expected Doreenâs foolishness could extend to the point of unwittingly reducing herself to a pawn in Vickiâs schemes again even after having suffered in the detention for half a month.
It was like Doreen had a death wish, only satisfied if she met her demise at Vickiâs hands.
Meanwhile, in the Schultz familyâs villa, Nicole hadnât anticipated that Jarrod wouldnât return for quite some time after that night.
She kept track of the days, realizing it had been roughly ten days.
This was an incredibly uncommon occurrence.
Although Nicole dreaded facing Jarrod, her unease deepened with each passing hour he failed to return.
This was because she was disconnected from the outside world.
Though confined to the mansion, Nicole found solace in her interactions with Austin.
Together, they killed time by engaging in chess matches and reading books.
Life seemed to have taken on an unsettling silence.
Nicole was gripped by anxiety since she had no clue when Jarrod planned to release her from this captivity.
She felt a pressing need to establish contact with the outside world.
Lost in thought, Nicole was interrupted by a message from Jarrodâs new assistant.