"I know you've found her... Jarrod managed to say, despite the struggle.

After all, it was Jarrod who had trained Alec himself. Since Nicole had shown up, Alec couldn't overlook her presence.

This was the first time Alec had lied to Jarrod, and Jarrod didn't want to confront him on this.

Jarrod smile looked more painful than tears. "She didn't want to see me, right?"

Alec hung his head, feeling guilty, and replied with a strained voice, "Mr. Schultz, I'm sorry. I couldn't convince Miss Lawrence..."

“What... What did she say?" The moment Jarrod asked, his lips started to bleed.

Ignoring the pain, he persisted in a faint voice, “Don't hide the truth from me. I can handle it. Just tell me what she told you..."

Alec only dared to lie to Jarrod once. With Jarrod seeing through the lie, Alec had no other option but to come clean. He relayed Nicole's words exactly as she had said them.

Hearing Nicole's words from Alec, Jarrod felt her deep resentment.

Even though Jamie was the one who had stolen the contract and delivered it to Wesson, which caused Wesson to commit suicide with the burden of guilt, it was Jarrod who chose to keep the original copy deliberately, wanting to bind Nicole by his side with it.

Had Jarrod destroyed the contract like he had promised Nicole, maybe Wesson wouldn't have felt driven to intense despair.

But back then, Jarrod felt trapped without any other choices. He couldn't think of any way to make Nicole willingly stay by his side other than threatening her...

After spending years away from home, Jarrod had lost touch with how to genuinely love someone. He was at a loss on how to show his affection. He just couldn't bear to let Nicole leave him.

Jarrod only came up with a solution of forcing her to stay by his side, believing it to be the best approach. But he realized too late that he was mistaken about it all...

Rain drenched Jarrod's face, soaking him through. If his actions were wrong, what would have been the right thing to do? After the death of his parents, marked by resentment, no one had ever guided him on the distinctions of right and wrong.

Rain clung to Jarrod's eyelashes. With a raspy tone, he inquired, “Is that everything?"

Alec shuffled and hesitated, avoiding Jarrod's gaze. Eventually, under the intensity of Jarrod's stare, Alec said in a low voice, "Miss Lawrence mentioned she will hold the funeral for you if you don't survive this ordeal."

The bitterness in the air was palpable, even amidst the downpour.

Poof! Jarrod coughed up blood once more. The blood trickled down his lip, staining his shirt. His body began to convulse.

Jarrod had been kneeling firmly for hours. Under the influence of Nicole's words, he finally fell to the ground.