"You!" Vicki began, her tone sharp as she struggled to maintain composure.

Vicki's eyes momentarily blazed with fury. "Then you'll never see your son again!" she declared, her voice tinged with threat.

“But I will see him today," Nicole insisted.

“How amusing. What makes you think you can?" Vicki retorted, her disbelief evident.

Vicki was taken aback by Nicole's brazenness. Think she could just walk in and see her child?

In Vicki's eyes, Nicole's declaration was detached from reality.

Nicole responded calmly, "Because I'm his mother."

Vicki scoffed. "What kind of mother are you? Do you really believe Austin recognizes you as his mother? He listens to everything I say now."

At Vicki's words, a chill passed through Nicole, her worry about Vicki's influence over Austin gnawing at her.

With Kamilah recently out due to illness, Nicole had lost touch with Austin and was unaware of his current state. However, she held onto the belief that Austin wouldn't turn away from her. He was, after all, her own son, and she understood him deeply.

“Vicki, your overconfidence might just be your downfall," Nicole retorted.

Vicki laughed with a triumphant air, gracefully tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Overconfident or not, Jarrod is well aware of the situation. Under my care, Austin now calls Jarrod ‘Daddy.’ What could you possibly offer him? Your presence might just poison his mind with your resentment," Vicki taunted.

Nicole's eyes widened in shock. How could she have been so unaware of such a significant change? Was it possible that Austin had begun to see Jarrod as his father? She pondered this alarming new information.

Nicole had never stopped Austin from referring to Jarrod as "Daddy," nor had she sown seeds of hatred toward Jarrod in Austin's mind. The discord between her and Jarrod was their own issue, and she was intent on keeping Austin away from any negative fallout.

Nicole knew well that Austin felt the lack of a father figure deeply.

Through discussions with Kamilah, she understood that Austin initially resisted Jarrod's presence, clearly reluctant to call him

"Daddy."

Nicole, however, was not in the mood for pointless discussions with Vicki now. Her primary concern was to check on Austin.

“Just yesterday, you threatened to kill my child," Nicole stated.

“There's no need to pretend you care now. It's both insincere and unnecessary."