Feigning a sudden realization that Jarrod was still there, the man quickly put on a smile.
âI meant compared to you, Roscoeâs nothing.
He couldnât even hold a candle to you.
â
Jarrod seemed to have liked what he heard, his expression growing brighter.
In a show of false modesty, he said, âWe shouldnât say that.
Iâm sure he has his own abilities.
â
âBullshit!â the man shouted.
âHe may have defeated his grandfather, and for what? An empty company.
I heard that the only remaining mansion has even been mortgaged.
If he canât even manage to keep himself afloat, how would he be able to revive the Watts Group? Itâs a pipe dream for him.
â
Nicole didnât expect such a huge change to happen to the Watts family in just ten days.
Miguel had passed away, but hidden dangers still lurked.
On top of that, the public didnât have a favorable view of the Watts family.
But all of this was Miguelâs fault.
Miguel was the truly malicious one in this whole situation.
He framed Roscoe, almost pushing Roscoe for dead.
But instead of being criticized, Miguel was portrayed as a kind old man while Roscoe was painted as an ingrate.
A dead man could no longer do anything.
That meant those stirring up troubles were either someone else from the Watts family or those who harbored a great dislike for Roscoe.
One such person was the man beside her.
However, Nicole couldnât be sure.
There were other possibilities.
Alec, for instance, could have been behind it.
âI despise people like him.
He betrays his family, even those who have done him good.
This is his retribution.
â In an effort to flatter Jarrod, the man spoke again and made a show of seemingly righteous anger.
âI donât even understand why heâs here in this banquet.
Who the hell let him in?â
The accusations were becoming more and more excessive, and Nicole couldnât bear it any longer and finally spoke up.
âExcuse me.
Sir, do you understand what youâre saying? When have you ever seen Roscoe show ungratefulness?â
The question seemed to have caught the man off guard.
He was stunned for a few seconds.
Had he misread the situation? Did Jarrod not feel any hostility toward Roscoe? If that wasnât the case, why would Nicole say something like that? But that didnât sound right either.
Doreenâs divorce from Roscoe made it to the headlines, and it was quite the sensation.
Jarrod couldnât possibly choose to help someone who was practically a stranger instead of siding with a family member.
The man decided to play it safe.
âI donât need to see it with my own eyes to know.
Whatâs clear is that Roscoe canât call himself a real son of the Watts family.
Everyone knows Miguel personally brought him back and treated him well, but Roscoe paid Miguel back how? He reported Miguel.
If thatâs not disrespectful, I donât know what is.
Thatâs even beside the fact that Miguel lost his life because of thisâ¦â
Nicole disagreed.
âIf Miguel truly cared for Roscoe, why would he leave the company in ruins?â she shot back.
âThe twists and turns in this matter arenât difficult to understand.
Itâs just that everyone likes to listen to unfounded rumors and add fuel to the fire.
â
The man couldnât understand why Nicole would be offended by his standing up for Doreen.
It was a whole new mess.
He scratched his head and said, âI apologize⦠I.
His voice trailed off without completing the sentence because he didnât know what to say.
Staying silent would be better than risking offending Jarrod as well.
â
Unexpectedly, Jarrod spoke up.
âitâs alright.
I agree that it was disrespectful.
No matter what, Roscoe is still a member of the Watts family, and what he did was unacceptable.
â
Jarrod turned to Nicole and said with a teasing expression, âAre you trying to defend Roscoe?â
It was Nicoleâs turn to be speechless.
She couldnât read his intentions, but she knew that his seemingly calm expression actually hid his temper.
The man was even more baffled.
He felt the tension rising at the table.
Nicole seemed to be taking Roscoeâs side, but Jarrod himself wasnât.
The two had opposing opinions, but when it came down to it, the man knew who to flatter.
The man chose not to participate in the conversation anymore and left with a smile after bidding Jarrod farewell.
However, when he passed by Roscoe, he intentionally bumped into Roscoe, causing the wine to spill over his clothes.
âAre you blind?â he shouted.
âYou spilled wine all over me!â
Roscoe looked in confusion at the man who suddenly appeared.
The man clearly hit him with his elbow.
Calmly, Roscoe answered.
âI think youâre mistaken.
You were the one who bumped into me.
â
The man sneered, âAre you accusing me? Do you have proof?â