It was such a stark contrast from his manner just a moment ago.

Even in her sleep, Vicki continued to murmur, "Jarrod, I love you."

They soon reached their destination.

Alec parked the car smoothly, and Jarrod lifted the still-sleeping Vicki out of the car.

Half-awake, Vicki looked at him through blurry eyes and whispered, “Jarrod, don't go tonight. Stay with me."

Jarrod's expression softened, and he smiled. "I'll stay with you."

Vicki snuggled contentedly into his embrace.

Jarrod carried Vicki inside. Shortly afterward, the elevator doors opened again, revealing only Jarrod as he stepped out alone.

Jarrod sat back in his car, his face serious as he rubbed his forehead and asked, "Got any updates?"

Alec responded, "Not yet."

Jarrod remained silent. He had expected this answer.

Alec glanced at Vicki's villa and then added, "Mr Schultz, I think the child might either be gone or didn't survive."

It had been a month since Nicole vanished. One day, Jarrod suddenly instructed Alec to go overseas to check if Nicole had any children.

The landlady overseas hadn't spotted Nicole with any kids but did share a helpful detail, claiming having witnessed a man with Nicole guiding a young boy along. But the very one glimpse of the young boy couldn't confirm if the boy was his son or just a friend's child.

To Alec, this information seemed insignificant. He found it hard to believe that Nicole could have managed childbirth, considering the strain it would have put on her health.

However, when Jarrod learned this, he became fixated on locating the child, as if driven by something beyond reason.

Where should Alec even start? After searching for so long, he half-joked to himself about wishing he could just produce a child to satisfy Jarrod's demands.

Alec attempted to reason with Jarrod. "Mr. Schultz, if you want a child, why not consider having one with Miss Hampton? It would solidify your alliance with the Hampton family and secure your position within the Schultz Group."

Alec thought it was a straightforward solution. Having a child with Vicki seemed to offer more benefits.

Forget the child Jarrod thought might exist. Even if such a child were real, bringing it into the open could upset the Hamptons and jeopardize using Vicki as leverage, potentially causing the senior leaders at the Schultz Group to challenge Jarrod.