“sir, I'm not sure what I'm capable of anymore," Alec said his mind, his confidence waning.

"I need you to lead, not to fight," Jarrod clarified. "Look at me. When was the last time I had to physically fight? That's what bodyguards are for. Your job is to oversee the company's safety, not to engage in combat. This isn't Amolica, you get that?"

"I understand." Alec nodded, feeling embarrassed. He realized how irrational his thoughts of giving up had been. It was just the loss of one arm. People with disabilities didn't cease to live full lives because of their impairments. Many led active, satisfying lives. He had been shortsighted.

"I'll make a quick recovery," Alec assured.

“Take your time." Jarrod paused a bit and then said, “Regarding Roscoe..."

Jarrod paused, deep in thought, before he finally spoke. "Don't kill him."

Alec's eyes widened in disbelief. "Sir, you want to spare Roscoe?"

"I gave Nicole my word," Jarrod replied firmly.

Alec's jaw tightened. “Fine, but I'll only promise not to kill him."

At that moment, Alec wanted nothing more than to eliminate Roscoe. In his simplistic mindset, he believed that without Roscoe, Nicole would fall in line and stop provoking Jarrod.

However, Alec failed to grasp that the rift between Jarrod and Nicole ran much deeper than Roscoe. The issues dividing them were far more significant and were riddled with misunderstandings that had festered over time, creating wounds that were hard to heal.

Jarrod remained stone-faced. While he had made a promise to spare Roscoe's life, he hadn't guaranteed that Roscoe wouldn't suffer harm.

If Alec hadn't intervened, he might have been the one who suffered the loss of an arm.

How could Jarrod not be troubled by that prospect? The thought of Nicole not shedding a tear if he lost an arm gnawed at him.

Jarrod's tone turned icy. "I promised only to spare his life, nothing more."

Alec caught the underlying implications immediately.

Jarrod's words carried layers of meaning, reigniting a fierce will to live within Alec. "Don't fret. I will recover in no time," he declared, his resolve unwavering.

Alec vowed to recover swiftly and then deal with Roscoe. If he could rid himself of that nuisance, he would still be valuable to Jarrod.

As Alec's determination shone through his eyes, Jarrod was relieved.

He knew deep down that he had made the right call. Letting Alec go after Roscoe was the only lifeline left to throw Alec. It was the one thing that might reignite Alec's will to live.