Jarrod was already aware that he had no chance of getting with Nicole. He grasped that he would lose her forever if he didn't seize this moment. From the very beginning, he had been vying for Austin's custody, aiming to use Austin as a means to keep her close. Whether his actions were seen as underhanded or despicable was irrelevant to him. His sole desire was to keep Nicole close by using Austin.

However, even after losing the custody lawsuit, Nicole showed no signs of yielding.

Jarrod felt a chilling resolve to let go, yet he recognized his resolve was wavering. The full breakdown arrived sooner than he anticipated.

Upon viewing the recording of Vicki's and Doreen's attack on Nicole, could he possibly remain unaffected? Far from it. He was devastated, the anguish nearly overwhelming him. He couldn't bear to see her treated so poorly.

However, Jarrod knew that now was not the time to reveal any vulnerability. He had to maintain a facade of cold-heartedness. It was all because Nicole seemed indifferent to whether he cared or not.

If he were to show his true feelings, he felt his tenderness and pain might cause him to lose her for good.

Jarrod forcefully took hold of Nicole's face, making her look at him.

“Nicole, have you not ever considered asking me?"

As he pondered this, his frustration grew, almost driving him mad.

“Why not approach me instead when you went pleading with Vicki?"

Did she loathe him to the point that she would rather act desperately than soften her demeanor around him? If this was her stance, then she should not fault him for resorting to sly and contemptible tactics just to force her by his side.

Jarrod tightened his hold on her fingers and declared, “I'm offering you this one condition, this single opportunity. If not, there will be a second Vicki, a third Vicki, and endless others."

Jarrod berated himself for not taking things further with Nicole. The brief taste he'd had of her had ignited every nerve in his body. Now, he burned with a desire to pin her down, fuse her with his essence until she could neither escape nor tempt another soul.

Nicole's drunken slip of the name "Roscoe" still grated on Jarrod, like a thorn lodged under his skin, igniting a desire to find and eliminate Roscoe.

“Jarrod, can you look at me and honestly say you've been fair to our son and me?" Nicole challenged him, her anguish etched into her bloodshot eyes. At that moment, she loathed the man looming above her.

“Why must I plead with you? Is Austin not your own flesh and blood?"

"I understand I've hurt both of you, but you haven't given me the opportunity to fix things," Jarrod countered, feeling the hollow ring of his words reverberate through the air Like an echo in an empty cavern. Yet, his desperation to cling to Nicole overshadowed any semblance of pride or shame.

"Nicole, all I'm asking is for you to be there for Austin as his mother and stay with me. I promise to give you the respect you deserve and try my hardest to make things right for both you and Austin. But if you decline, those opportunities will be lost forever."

Jarrod's rationale was frigid and methodical, akin to a shrewd merchant striking a deal. He aimed for a transaction where Nicole's wishes became currency, traded for her steadfast company by his side.

"Jarrod, why are you behaving like this?" Nicole's frustration boiled over, her voice thick with emotion. "What we have isn't love. There's no genuine connection between us.