Therefore, he had carefully arranged for Doreen to go abroad to avoid further scandal.
Doreenâs actions had not only wronged Nicole but had also entangled with the Hamptons, a family known not to forget or forgive easily.
Meanwhile, Vicki and Lowe faced their consequences.
Imprisoned without bail, their futures looked grim.
Loweâs involvement in serious crimes was likely to earn him a lengthy sentence, potentially over a decade, while Vickiâs secretive dealings had finally caught up with her, ensuring a significant prison term was also in her future.
The extent of their sentences would heavily depend on the Hampton familyâs influence.
Even with the Hamptonsâ willingness to save Vicki, Vickiâs future looked bleak, ruined by her past evil deeds.
Doreen had been the least involved and had been detained for only a month, owing in part to Jarrodâs efforts.
Jarrod had sent lawyers to negotiate for Doreen, a gesture that neither Doreen nor Hallie appreciated.
To them, Jarrod was a traitor.
They assumed he had sided with Nicole and intentionally put Doreen behind bars, even distancing himself from them.
What Doreen and Hallie didnât know was that the Hampton family had a vindictive nature, and they had already blamed Doreen for Vickiâs ruin.
If they decided to seek revenge, the consequences would be severe.
The Watts family also posed a threat.
Doreen had only spent a short time with them, but her failure to win Roscoe over turned her into a twisted woman.
Many of the Watts family had been offended by her acting rude and spoiled.
At present, the Watts familyâs power was in decline, and those who had once leeched off their status and influence found themselves at a loss after having been driven out by Roscoe.
Unable to let go after having been used to the high life, they might resort to desperate measures.
If Doreen remained in Ardlens, it wouldnât be unlikely for her to cross paths with those from the Watts family who held a grudge and were looking for revenge.
Right now, the best course of action was for Doreen and Hallie to lie low abroad.
It was the only way to avoid trouble.
However, neither Doreen nor Hallie understood Jarrodâs good intentions.
They were convinced that he had been bewitched by Nicole and was doing things in her favor.
Being taken away, Hallie, seething, protested.
âHow could you do this to me? Have you forgotten how good I was to you? I helped you when you were nothing.
I canât believe youâre treating your family Like this just for that woman!â
It was a feeble claim.
The help Hallie had thrown in Jarrodâs face was a paltry sum of a few thousand dollars.
She considered herself kind enough not to add fuel to the flames while Jarrod was down and out.
Perhaps back then, she had still been human enough for charity.
However, Jarrodâs acts of repaying the kindness far exceeded the value of that small amount of money from long ago.
But Hallie didnât see things that way.
As entitled as ever, she felt that the world owed her everything she desired.
Now that Jarrod was a wealthy man, she was expecting him to give her more.
She wanted him to stay unmarried and without any children so all his assets would be left to her.
Greed ran much deeper than anyone could imagine.
And endurance for the old timeâs sake only served to feed it.
If Jarrod hadnât continuously repaid Hallie out of gratitude and a sense of familial obligation, Hallie and Doreen wouldnât have a warped sense of entitlement.
After Hallie was whisked away, the commotion gradually fizzled out.
Seeing that Rhett was there, Jarrod knew Nicole must have something to discuss to summon Rhett over.
âHave you decided?â Jarrod asked.
âYes,â Nicole replied evenly.
Jarrod waited for Nicole to speak.
Instead, Rhett pulled out a document, saying, âMr.
Schultz, this is the agreement drafted per Miss Lawrenceâs instructions.
Please review it.
â