Undeterred, the child knocked a few more times until the window swung open.

Leila glimpsed a handsome, youthful face. It radiated a warm charm, quite unlike the unfriendly handsomeness of Jarrod she was accustomed to. The man appeared to wheel his chair closer to the window.

Leila found herself staring at the man a little Longer, her thoughts drifting as if she were sizing up a potential son-in-law, feeling quite happy for Nicole. Such a bright and affable young man seemed perfect for Nicole. After all, a pair of somber souls wouldn't make a happy match.

Roscoe took the note and glanced downward.

Leila waved, catching his attention, and he nodded in response.

Roscoe quickly wrote a message on a tiny piece of paper, slid it into the toy plane, and attached a couple of fancy chocolates to it as a special treat for the child.

Realizing it was time to leave, Leila collected the note, waved goodbye, and left. Once home, her heart raced with excitement, relieved to find the driver still resting.

That afternoon back at the hospital, Leila managed to pass the note to Nicole.

Nicole waited until the quiet of midnight to read the note. It was penned in Roscoe's bold and elegant handwriting. "Can't contact now. Working on it."

Nicole's heart raced as she read the message. "Can't contact now" meant he was unable to connect with Austin.

Nicole felt a wave of fear. It had been days since she had any communication with Austin or the nanny.

The nanny had worked for Nicole for years and Likely sensed something was wrong.

Nicole had instructed the nanny to take Austin overseas immediately if she became unreachable. All the preparations were in place. She wondered whether the nanny had already left...

Tossing and turning, Nicole lay awake, her mind filled with concerns for Austin and the nanny. She hadn't even noted that Jarrod had been absent for days.

It was ten days later when Jarrod finally made his appearance.

During his absence, Nicole had been moved from her hospital room to one of Jarrod's villas.

When Jarrod showed up, there was a noticeable change in him. The typically detached man appeared somewhat more approachable. His tone and manner were oddly cheerful, which Nicole sensed was not a positive sign.

Before Nicole could reflect on it more, Jarrod asked, “Are you getting used to it here?"

Ignoring his question, Nicole pressed him, "When are you taking me to see Roscoe? You had promised me."

At this, Jarrod looked at her and scoffed. "I think there's someone else you'd rather see more than Roscoe."