Chapter 1561

Chapter 1561:

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Doreen's resentment toward Austin was palpable, rooted in her disdain for Austin's biological mother, Nicole. This dislike extended to Austin as well, whom she regularly called a "little bastard."

Alarmed by the conversation, Doreen panicked. “Mom, I can't go along with Jarrod's plans to send me away. It’s like he wants to get rid of me.”

"Don't worry, I'll think of something. I'll try to talk some sense into Jarrod," Hallie reassured Doreen, trying to ease the tension.

Holding her mother's hand tightly, Doreen pleaded, "You have to convince Jarrod to let me stay. I don't care about anything else. I just don't want to leave."

Hallie scolded her: "If you had listened to me and avoided getting involved with that woman, you wouldn't have gotten into this mess."

Doreen replied in frustration, “It was Vicki's idea. You know how much I despise Jarrod's wife. I couldn't resist stepping on her toes. How were we supposed to know that Jarrod wouldn't deliver the original video of that night to the Hamptons, giving that woman the opportunity to hurt us? It’s infuriating!”

“Listen, Doreen, you need to keep your distance from Vicki. She may seem friendly, but she's cunning. You might become her pawn without even realizing it,” Hallie warned.

Hallie, more perceptive, harbored antipathy for both Nicole and Vicki, finding all of Jarrod's associates difficult to handle.

"Vicki has never hurt me. She understands my situation better than anyone," Doreen said, convinced of Vicki's empathy for her distress at Roscoe's indifference, which fueled her resentment toward Nicole.

Doreen truly believed that Vicki was on her side, offering her an outlet for her frustrations.

Exasperated and disappointed, Hallie slapped Doreen on the forehead. “You're so naive. You’d be exploited and you wouldn’t even realize you were helping them benefit.”

Doreen replied defiantly: “Vicki has not betrayed me. That's enough. “I know what I'm doing.”

Hallie, frustrated, snapped back, “You don't understand anything. I'm warning you. While I'm trying to negotiate with Jarrod, don't cause any more trouble. Understood?”

Doreen nodded her head perfunctorily, hiding the resentment she felt towards Nicole. Despite her anger, she was at a loss, unable to come up with a plan against Nicole.

I knew I needed advice and Vicki was the only person I could turn to.

Hallie never expected Doreen's foolishness to extend to the point where she would once again be unwittingly reduced to a pawn in Vicki's schemes, even after suffering in detention for half a month.

It was as if Doreen had a death wish, only satisfied if she met death at Vicki's hands.

Meanwhile, at the Schultz family cottage, Nicole hadn't anticipated that Jarrod would be gone for a long time after that night. She counted the days and realized that about ten days had passed, which was very unusual.

Although Nicole was afraid to confront Jarrod, her uneasiness grew with each passing hour that passed without his return. This was due to his disconnection from the outside world.

Despite being confined to the mansion, Nicole found solace in her interactions with Austin.

They spent their time playing chess and reading books. Life seemed to have taken on an eerie silence.

Nicole's anxiety was growing, as she had no idea when Jarrod planned to release her from captivity. She felt a compelling need to make contact with the outside world.

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