"Yes," Nicole responded, oblivious to the receptionist's look of surprise.

The receptionist opened a work memorandum, glanced from it to Nicole's face, and then snapped it shut. "Miss Lawrence, Mr. Watts left the company at 1:32 a.m. this morning."

Nicole gave the receptionist a puzzled look, unsure why the latter was now sharing such precise details.

The receptionist offered a smile of apology. "Mr. Watts had instructed that should Miss Lawrence visit, we were to call him immediately and keep no secrets."

The receptionist had already marked Nicole's arrival as a priority.

A wave of paleness washed over Nicole's face. She was overwhelmed by Roscoe's thoughtfulness and his attention to detail. She quickly left Roscoe's company and hailed a taxi to his apartment.

Upon speaking with the building's security guard, Nicole found out that Roscoe hadn't come home yet.

Nicole's complexion turned ashen. Roscoe had vanished after Leaving his office. But at that time, Jarrod was still incarcerated. Who could be acting on his behalf?

Suddenly, a name popped into Nicole's head - Alec. It had to be him.

Nicole then took a taxi to Jarrod's company, but as expected, she didn't find him there. Jarrod was having a meal with Vicki somewhere else.

Nicole requested to see Alec specifically, but the receptionist told her Alec was tied up. Nicole decided to wait in the lobby.

Eventually, Nicole noticed Alec descending the stairs, apparently about to leave for an errand.

Nicole felt an urge to confront him but stopped herself. After Alec departed, she followed him in a taxi. She watched as he parked at a tea house and casually sat down for tea.

Nicole instructed the taxi to drive past and continued surveilling Alec.

A short while later, Alec returned to his car, and Nicole, now disguised in a baseball cap, slipped into a black car. It was too conspicuous to follow in a taxi, so she had asked her assistant to find a less noticeable car.

Soon after, Alec parked his car at an entertainment club. Once he entered, Nicole slipped inside and booked a chamber. She methodically searched each chamber, tracing the path Alec had taken.

Nicole's search continued until she opened the final door. There sat Alec, casually drinking with two women by his side.

As the door opened, Alec, seemingly anticipating her arrival, called out loudly, "Miss Lawrence, come in and join us for a drink!"

Nicole's hand shook slightly. Since Alec had spotted her, there was no point in hiding. She realized Alec had been misleading her on purpose.

Nicole walked in, stood by the table facing Alec, and got straight to the point. “You kidnapped Roscoe, didn't you?"