“Are you threatening me?" Jarrod's voice, deep and authoritative, echoed through the room, intensifying the tension.

Nicole's hands tightened into fists as she looked him in the eye.

"It's not a threat, but a proposition. I need your protection for Roscoe because he had saved Austin's life. If not for him, Austin and I would have died on that sea cliff years ago. We owe him our lives."

Nicole understood Jarrod's weak spots well. Provoking him now could put Roscoe at even greater risk. Her priority was to ensure Austin's safety, and then to secure protection for Roscoe. While this was an easy task for Jarrod, it posed a huge challenge for her and Roscoe.

In the unpredictable environment of Ardlens, surviving without solid support was nearly impossible.

Furthermore, Nicole knew she had made many enemies along the way.

Though she didn't go looking for trouble, she had to confront it head-on.

If it weren't for Jemma's advice last night, Nicole might not have shifted her perspective so quickly.

Jemma had advised, "Relying only on yourself doesn't make you noble. If it leads to misery, people will just laugh at you. Wise people take every legal opportunity that benefits them. The right path is the one that helps you. Why bother with what irrelevant people think..."

Nicole knew Jemma meant to give her sound advice. After so many setbacks, it was time to adopt a smarter strategy, to protect her loved ones in a different way. This approach would also make life easier for those she wanted to protect.

Nicole snapped back to reality, locking eyes with Jarrod. "I need you to settle this debt for Austin's sake. You owe it to Austin and me.”

Among all the difficulties and pain from the past, Jarrod was at play. They all owed Austin greatly.

“I don't owe Roscoe anything," Jarrod responded. His words implied he acknowledged a debt to Nicole and Austin, but not to Roscoe.

Jarrod assumed without Roscoe's intervention, perhaps Nicole and he would not have faced such trials. And Austin might have been born under his watchful care, receiving the finest medical attention.

Nicole stayed calm despite his rejection. "So, we can't reach an agreement?"

It felt like a fierce tug-of-war, where any show of weakness could mean defeat.

Nicole couldn't afford to back down. Leaving Roscoe behind just to save Austin was unthinkable. Jarrod's refusal to recognize the debt to Roscoe was crucial for her. Without Roscoe's intervention, she and Austin might not have survived.

Roscoe was a decent and gentle man who treated Austin Like his own and showed Nicole immense respect.

Nicole simply couldn't leave Roscoe behind. If she didn't stand her ground today, Jarrod would learn her boundaries, potentially endangering Roscoe.

Nicole was certain Jarrod would not harm Austin. Her worries were more about the potential dangers associated with Jarrod's circle, not Jarrod himself.