Jarrod's attention shifted to the security guard, bypassing Nicole.

“Did you witness Nicole attempting to strike her?" he inquired.

Vicki was taken aback and then subtly signaled to the security guard.

She trusted that she was the future mistress of the household, and the guards wouldn't be foolish enough to contradict her, especially with Jarrod present. After all, she had already ensured their loyalty by greasing palms.

"No, we observed no such behavior. It was Miss Hampton who prevented your wife from entering," the guard responded, dispelling Vicki's hopes of leveraging the situation.

Vicki's mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation. She thought the security guard had misspoken. Surely, she should be addressed as Jarrod's wife, not Miss Hampton.

Oblivious to Jarrod's marriage with Nicole, Vicki reveled in her imagination. The title of Jarrod's wife delighted her nonetheless.

Deciding to overlook the guard's error, Vicki coughed lightly and offered a gentle reminder, "Please address Nicole correctly. Her surname is Lawrence, not Hampton. Perhaps the security captain forgot to brief you two."

The guards exchanged perplexed glances, treating Vicki as if she were speaking nonsense. They had been dispatched here from the Schultz Group for just one day, with instructions to address Nicole as Jarrod's wife. Confused by Vicki's insistence on a different name, they chose to ignore her and remained focused on their duty.

“Jarrod... Vicki approached again, feigning generosity. “Miss Lawrence probably just wants to see her child. Don't blame her..."

"Liar!" A child's voice interrupted them.

Swiftly, Austin bolted out in his slippers, the nanny in futile pursuit.

"Austin, don't run..."

But Austin didn't slow down. His face flushed with exertion and determination as he sprinted toward Nicole, clearly distressed.

Just as the nanny reached out to snatch Austin by the shoulder, Nicole's expression darkened. She swiftly intervened, shoving the nanny's hand away with a forceful. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him!"

Nicole sheltered Austin in a protective embrace.

Austin's desperate attempt to flee from the nanny spoke volumes about his fear and discomfort around the latter, hinting strongly that the latter was likely allied with Vicki, someone Austin instinctively distrusted.

The nanny's affiliation with Vicki was apparent from her frantic attempts to intervene. "Why are you taking the child? Release him!" she demanded insistently.

The nanny spat out curses and lunged at Austin with a snarl.

But before her fingers could even brush Austin's shirt, a swift foot swung out and knocked her to the ground.