Jarrod's face remained plastered to the ground. He lifted his gaze ever so slightly, tracing from her slender legs to the captivating countenance of the woman.

"Nicole!" Jarrod uttered a single cry, refraining from a second one.

He shook his head vigorously as if trying to ascertain whether this was a mirage or reality. Was the woman he actually seeing now was Nicole?

Jarrod hadn't dreamt of Nicole in five years. Nicole had been so cruel, refusing to appear in his dreams once.

Jarrod's posture resembled that of a supplicant kneeling before the woman's feet.

Her alluring crimson Lips parted and closed. “Jarrod.”

The voice sounded familiar. Jarrod's eyes welled up with instant crimson.

With his palms pressed to the ground, Jarrod struggled to rise and clasp the woman in his arms.

But at that very moment, the woman in black high heels planted her foot on the back of Jarrod's hand.

Her voice, as frigid as ice, cut through the air. “Look at yourself."

Then, she paused, twisting her high heel on the back of Jarrod's hand as if seeking to pierce his palm. "You resemble a stray dog now!"

With those words, she sauntered away in her black high heels.

"Nicole!" In the end, Jarrod managed to cry out her name. "Don't abandon me!"

His mouth was tinged with blood, his voice raw and ragged.

The blue luxury car's taillight flickered before him, casting a more pitiful shadow upon him.

“Stay." His plea was engulfed by the car's roaring departure. “Please don't leave me..."

Tears welled up in Jarrod's eyes and streamed down his cheeks as he screamed into the wind.

Yet, there was no response.

Not until Alec arrived.

For the remainder of the night, Alec drove Jarrod all over Ardlens in a relentless quest for Nicole.