As if deaf to her pleas, Jarrod continued to wade effortlessly through the deep end of the pool.

Her heavy eyelids and aching body compelled Nicole to cease her struggle. Instead, she conserved energy by lying on his shoulder Like a docile cat.

A fleeting sense of pleasure rose within Jarrod's heart.

Meanwhile, Deniz, who had been kicked into the pool, struggled to pull himself up using the metal guards and collapsed onto the floor.

He lay there, gasping for air like a panting dog.

Deniz was perplexed by the sudden turn of events. Noticing Jarrod carrying Nicole out of the water, he wondered when Jarrod had started playing the hero, rescuing people from drowning.

Deniz's eyes roved, plotting how to snatch Nicole back. He intended to leverage his connection with the Hampton family, believing Jarrod wouldn't dismiss his request.

Although Deniz cursed Jarrod inwardly, he put on a sycophantic smile and pointed at Nicole. "Mr. Schultz, do you remember her? She's the escort you brought to us to play with before!"

The mention of the term “escort" triggered a drastic change in Jarrod's expression, transforming it into an ugly visage.

Deniz was trying to be shrewd, not knowing that he was in fact being incredibly foolish. He thought Jarrod had beaten him in the past merely out of frustration, and attributed his entanglement with Nicole to bad luck.

Now, fearing Jarrod might snatch Nicole away, Deniz resorted to dredging up the past to tarnish Nicole's reputation. After all, Nicole had recorded the damning evidence of his doings. For the sake of his future, he had to destroy all the evidence Nicole had.

Addressing Jarrod, Deniz asserted, "Mr. Schultz, this bitch tried to seduce me, and when it didn't work, she falsely accused me of trying to rape her!"

Oblivious to Jarrod's darkening expression, Deniz pointed at the money and other items in the pool, fabricating a tale. “Look, she stole all this. Hand her over, and I'll take care of it."

Jarrod's eyes turned even darker, and his voice was ice-cold when he spoke. “You're saying she seduced you?"

"Yeah, she does that for a living, doesn't she?" Deniz sneered. "Have you forgotten how loud and forward she was when you brought her over for drinks? Practically shoving her chest in my face and begging to be called Nicky..."

Deniz's lecherous gaze lingered on Nicole's long, straight legs. Her figure was undeniably tempting.

Bitter about missing out on her and facing a beating instead, Deniz spat, "Damn this whore, selling herself everywhere and now trying to trick me! That..."

"Deniz," Jarrod called out abruptly.

With a flattering smile on his face, Deniz responded, "Yes, Mr. Schultz?"

Jarrod's gaze shifted toward the azure pool as he casually stated, "Jump in."