Jarrod instructed the driver with authority, “Drive.


    ”


    “Mr.


    Schultz, where to?” the driver inquired.


    While it wasmon for men to take women to hotels, Jarrod had a different destination in mind.


    Looking at Nicole, who continued to struggle, Jarrod pinched the bridge of his nose andmanded, “To the vi.


    ”


    As the car started, Nicole kept shifting, her head knocking against the window.


    Jarrod, catching her by the face, warned sharply, “Do you want to jump out? Think about what that would do to your face.


    ”


    Realizing the implications, Nicole settled down somewhat.


    Seeing her calm slightly, Jarrod disdainfully pushed her into the corner.


    The mix of blood, alcohol, and vomit emanating from Nicole was repulsive.


    Jarrod had intervened out of necessity alone.


    As the car drove on, Nicole muttered a single word, barely audible, “Roscoe.


    ”


    Jarrod’s face set into a mask of icy severity, his expression darkening instantly.


    The veins on the back of his hand stood out, signaling his intense effort to maintain control.


    Jarrod half-turned, intent on ejecting Nicole from the car, but paused when he saw her curled up like a distressed cat in the corner, her demeanor unusually subdued.Content ? N?velDrama.Org.


    It was a rare sight, her docility, especially since she wasn’t fully conscious.


    Jarrod grasped arguing with someone in such a state was futile.


    “Damn it!” Jarrod muttered under his breath, his frustration evident as he yanked at his cor, identally popping a couple of buttons.


    His shirt fell open slightly, revealing the chiseled contours of his chest, an unintentional disy of raw masculine allure.


    Thankfully, Nicole’s outburst had been brief.


    Had it persisted, Jarrod might have been tempted to remove her from the car before reaching their destination.


    Reflecting on the evening, Jarrod questioned his decision to bring Nicole home.


    Perhaps he should have maintained his usual role as an indifferent observer.


    After all, she didn’t need him.


    She needed someone else.


    .


    The suburban property was one of many owned by Jarrod but held a special ce as his personal retreat.


    Jarrod valued its tranquility and the way it stood isted, near the river.


    During storms, he would sit on therge terrace, Listening to the rainsh against the river, the sounds reflecting the turbulence of his past.


    Those moments reinforced his resilience, a testament to the adversities he had ovee.


    There was no returning to the polished gentleman he once pretended to be, if he ever truly was one.


    He never was.


    As the car approached the vi, the staff, already informed by the driver, were prepared.


    Both the doctor and the housekeeper were ready to assist.


    As the car pulled up, they hurried out to meet Jarrod.


    Seeing Jarrod half-dragging, half-carrying Nicole, the housekeeper stepped forward to help, but Nicole resisted, flinching away from both Jarrod and any other approaching hands.


    Nicole’s clouded mind kept her constantly alert around anyone, a behavior ingrained from a life filled with constant upheaval.


    She resisted Jarrod, though his familiar scent provided a modicum offortpared to the strangers around her.


    Jarrod observed her reluctance to interact with the staff and felt a slight uplift in his mood.


    A faint smile appeared at the corner of his lips as he calmly said, “No need.


    ”


    The housekeeper sensed Nicole was a special one to Jarrod when noting how Nicole clung to Jarrod, attempting to fend off anyone else’s touch.