Chapter 9  

Nicole keenly caught a glimpse of the determination in the man’s eyes and suddenly realized that he was seizing the opportunity of her return and came to sound her out, and encouraged her to withdraw the marriage arrangement.

It seemed that he did not want this marriage either. Just that Mr. Johnston Sr. refused, and so he came to dissuade her from agreeing to this marriage.

Nicole frowned slightly. She did not like to be manipulated, and hated being used even more.

“The Johnston family is prominent in San Joto, and Mr. Johnston, you are older than me. It is inappropriate for a little girl like me to cancel the marriage arrangement, and it is going to make the Johnston family look bad.”

Nicole called herself a little girl, but her composure did not look like an eighteen-year-old at all.

Jared looked sideways at Nicole but only met with her unfathomable eyes, his heart trembling inexplicably as if he had been seen through by this precocious little girl.

That was interesting.

As Daniel and Gloria came out of their shock, Daniel said in a deep voice, “Nicole is right. It was Mr. Johnston Sr. who proposed the marriage arrangement. If Nicole were to back off from this engagement, it would upset Mr. Johnston Sr.”

Besides, the impact of canceling the engagement would affect Nicole dearly, and they needed more time to think about it.

Even if Nicole really wanted to back off from the engagement, it should not be Nicole who brought this up. It would jeopardize the friendship between the two families if things were not handled properly.

But the marriage engagement between the two families had long been spread far and wide in San Joto. If the Johnston family was to cancel the engagement, it was going to affect Nicole, too.

Seeing that the Riddle family was in a predicament, Jared thought for a moment and said, “Since it is a matter of two families, whichever side proposes it will hurt the friendship of the two families. So it is better for Nicole and I to go back to the Johnston family together and explain it to my grandfather.”

“Nicole, what do you think?” Daniel and Gloria were very optimistic about this marriage, but if Nicole was not into it, they were not going to force it.

So what if it would affect her reputation? If their daughter chose not to get married, they were willing to support her for a lifetime.

“Sure. Set a time.” Nicole had no objection.

As much as she disliked this pretentious guy, she was more opposed to losing her freedom, especially when she had just returned home. She had more important things to do.

“Then wait until my grandpa gets better and I will come and pick up.” Jared smiled politely at Nicole.

Nicole nodded and said, “Okay.”

Norah watched and quietly cursed as Nicole rejected such a good marriage with just a few words. Not willing to let go, she glanced at Jared and thought of a plan.

After some pleasantries, Jared got up and left, refusing to let Daniel and Gloria see him out.

But Norah insisted, and Daniel let her be. That was the least they could do.

Seeing Jared leave, Daniel looked at Nicole with concern. “Are you really going to back off from the engagement?”

Norah was looking forward to this marriage before this. But when Nicole returned and Jared came to discuss the withdrawal of the engagement, Nicole agreed to it, to their surprise.

They did not want to interfere with it, but they still felt that they were missing such an excellent man like Jared as their son-in-law. Nicole might regret it in the future.

“I am still young and studies are my priority.” Nicole made an excuse that was often seen on TV.

“Nicole is right. She is still young and will have more choices in the future.” Gloria was relieved, and Daniel did not insist anymore.

Outside the door, Norah was seeing Jared out.

Jared now felt unfriendly, completely opposite the gentleness and humility when he was talking inside.

But in order to achieve her goal, Norah still plucked up enough courage and said, “Jared, my sister does not know any better. Please don’t mind what she said for wanting to cancel the engagement.”

Jared glanced sideways at Norah. “I don’t mind.”

Norah was not sure if it was an illusion; Jared seemed to become even more unapproachable.

But there was only one chance, and Norah selectively ignored it, pretending to be shy as she continued. “Actually, before my sister came back, I was your fiancée. Unfortunately, it has all changed.”

After hinting it so obviously, Norah bowed her head shyly, waiting for Jared to respond.

Yet, Jared’s eyes suddenly darkened and his voice icy when he said, “Fish eyes can never be passed off as pearls. All things should return to their rightful places.”

Norah’s face turned pale.

Raising her head and looking at Jared again, she saw his frosty expression. His icy gaze was so in-your-face, piercing into her heart and making her tremble.

Just then, the Johnston family driver had pulled the car up. Jared got into the car and instructed the driver to drive him off.

Norah slowly came out of her daze as she watched the car leave.

Was Jared ridiculing her as just a fish eye and Nicole was the pearl?

Why... Why did these people discard her like garbage when Nicole returned?

“It is all Nicole’s fault!”

Had Nicole not returned, she would have always been the princess of the Riddle family, enjoying the wealth of her parents, the favor of her brothers, and Jared would have been hers.

Norah stared back at the door of the living hall with an extremely sinister look in her eyes. She did not want to be sent away. She was not going to leave this family. Everything here should rightly belong to her.