Having recently returned from a trip, Jarrod was enjoying a late-night meal with Vicki.

The rapport between Mitchel and Jarrod had grown distant over time due to conflicting perspectives, and were it not for Luis' interventions to their childhood uphold camaraderie, they might have drifted apart completely.

Anticipating nothing urgent from Mitchel, Jarrod casually greeted him in Vicki's presence, “Hello, Mitchel."

“Where are you?" Mitchel inquired tersely.

“Just landed, grabbing a bite to eat," Jarrod responded.

Upon hearing Jarrod's response, Mitchel's conviction regarding Jarrod's non-involvement in Nicole's disappearance solidified. However, he couldn't shake the suspicion that someone close to Jarrod might be implicated, given that few individuals were aware of Nicole's return to Ardlens. Apart from Jarrod and his associates, Nicole had few adversaries.

"Nicole is in trouble," Mitchel asserted.

Jarrod's expression grew tense. "What happened?"

“Raegan called her and heard someone pursuing her. Subsequently, when we traced her phone signal, it vanished. We located the car she had been using, but she's nowhere to be found," Mitchel elaborated.

After processing the information, Jarrod remained silent for a few moments before responding, "I'll take care of it."

Mitchel understood the implication. Rescue would come to Nicole's way.

Jarrod likely had suspicions regarding who might be behind it.

Mitchel felt compelled to offer a word of caution, "Jarrod, don't make decisions you'll later regret." It was counsel from a friend who had witnessed Jarrod's ruthless approach in business, a method Mitchel did not condone.

Their growing apart stemmed from Mitchel's preference for achieving success through methods that didn't completely dismantle smaller enterprises to maximize his gains.

In contrast, Jarrod operated like a shark in his domain, employing ruthless tactics to secure his victories. His methods were widely disapproved of in the financial sphere, resulting in numerous bridges burned, and there were plenty who would welcome his downfall.

Hence, Mitchel couldn't help but feel that Jarrod's endeavor to take Austin's custody was ill-advised. Jarrod had amassed a significant number of adversaries, and if they were to learn of his connection to Austin, it could place Austin in jeopardy.

With a heavy sigh, Mitchel proceeded to call Raegan to provide her with an update.

Raegan anxiously awaited Mitchel's call and answered his call almost immediately.

"Mitchel, what's the situation?" Raegan's voice quivered with fear, dreading the possibility of Nicole encountering something dreadful.

"I've instructed Matteo to dispatch our most capable team to search and have also notified the authorities, but she's not at the location where she went missing. We're continuing the search," Mitchel admitted, opting for full transparency, knowing Raegan's determined nature made concealing the truth futile.