Nicole lowered her head. She didn't say anything and just smiled. She thought Jarrod was acting so arrogantly and above the law. Then, she would let him be defeated by the thing he disdained the most. She would let him face justice under the sun and never be able to turn around again.

Jarrod must have noticed she was thinking about something. He raised his hand and pinched her chin. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Nicole, what are you plotting?"

Nicole's red lips curved into a mocking and disdainful smile. "Why?

Are you scared?"

Jarrod stayed quiet, his eyes squinting as his gaze met Nicole's, engaging in a silent contest for a few seconds.

His lips barely moved as he whispered, "I worry you're not wild enough. Whatever your plan, whether it's to end me or to push me to my limits, I play along."

Once he finished, he quickly dipped his head, pressing his Lips against hers with intensity. It felt like the relief of rain after a long drought, that known tenderness enveloping him fully. In that instant, he lost all sense of reason!

The one Jarrod had longed for more than five years was really there in his embrace, under his kiss, and nothing felt more reassuring than that.

Jarrod instinctively shut his eyes, immersing himself in the feeling.

Unexpectedly, Nicole didn't push back, her Lips parting just enough to let his tongue slide in.

With such an invitation, he let go of all control, their mouths and tongues intertwining as he pulled her closer, pressing her firmly against him.

Then, the elevator rang and the doors opened.

Outside, a storm of camera flashes and endless clicking awaited them.

Word had gotten out about Jarrod wildly paying five times the price for the acquisition of Hilpton, and journalists hurried to snag a major scoop.

They hadn't anticipated walking into such a scene right when the elevator doors slid apart.

This was a chance they couldn't let slip by, capturing photos rapidly.

The journalists already imagined their headlines. Jarrod Schultz Splurges a Fortune for Love...

Jarrod's eyes squinted, realizing he had fallen into a trap.

Broadcasting his reckless move of purchasing Hilpton for five times its value would stir up serious trouble for the Schultz business.

At that moment, Jarrod cared for nothing else, turning just enough to protect Nicole from the prying eyes, drawing her into his arms.