"Alec, I hope you stop being so foolish from now on. Don't throw away your life because of setbacks. Life's too wonderful and valuable for that. Living it right matters more than anything else." Nicole stood in the hospital for a while before she slowly walked away.

Her first stop after leaving the hospital was a law firm. Now, she wasn't just battling for visitation rights but for custody. Austin was a kind-hearted kid, and being raised under Jarrod's influence could mean an uncertain future.

Nicole was concerned about Austin's upbringing with Jarrod, but she was aware that winning the custody battle would be tough against the Schultz Group's strong legal team. Nevertheless, she was determined to fight. She couldn't just abandon Austin.

After meeting with a lawyer and laying out her divorce demands, Nicole entrusted the legal issues to him. Then, she visited Ethel to check on the progress concerning her father's former assistant, Brett.

At the police station, Ethel was surprised to see Nicole. “Nicole, where have you been? I've been trying to reach you for days. I was starting to get really worried.."

Ethel's worry was real. Since she couldn't reach Nicole, she started to use investigative techniques to track Nicole's last known locations, which brought her to Jarrod's villa. She was almost ready to confront Jarrod to discover Nicole's whereabouts. Luckily, Nicole showed up just in time.

Nicole quickly shared what had happened to her recently and then asked the urgent question, “Any news on Brett? And Jamie, who's now using the name Melissa, is she still in the hospital?"

Before being confined by Jarrod, Nicole had told Ethel about Jamie and requested that she keep an eye on Jamie.

Nicole was eager to hear about Jamie's condition after all this time.

Ethel answered each question, "We've made progress with Brett. I found out his family is still here. They haven't moved but have been living secretly in the countryside. Brett had taken his daughter there for medical treatment and stayed. They only came back to Ardlens this year."

Brett thought the danger was over since Nicole's father had died several years ago, and no one seemed to be after him anymore. He believed the threats were gone.

Little did he know, Nicole and Ethel had continued their investigation all along, which led to their recent breakthrough.

Nicole finally heard some good news. She inquired of Ethel, "Where is Brett at this moment?"

Nicole's urgency to confront Brett in person stemmed from the fact that he was the last individual to see her father alive. What had transpired between them? Why had he committed such a betrayal? Why had he turned against her father, who had always treated him with such kindness, particularly in light of her father's generosity toward Brett's ailing daughter?

Moreover, Nicole's mother had shown Brett great compassion, even renting an amusement park to make his daughter's birthday special.

Back then, Brett's gratitude appeared sincere because authentic emotions cannot be fabricated. So, why had he inflicted harm upon her father?

Nicole was baffled and felt compelled to confront Brett directly.

However, Ethel lacked the information Nicole sought.

“We haven't located Brett yet. We've checked immigration records, and there's no indication he left the country, but his family maintains he has gone abroad," Ethel replied.

“That's impossible," Nicole immediately commented. "Brett cherishes his daughter profoundly. She means everything to him. He would never abandon her."