The earring arced through the air toward the fountain in the center of the hall. Everyone's eyes widened at that moment, and they all gasped. The fountain was circulating water with a drainage hole, so if the earring got washed away by the water flow, it would be impossible to find it again."Oh no, my diamond earring!" The wealthy lady screamed as she rushed over without a regard for her image. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, she threw herself into the fountain. Her bulky figure struggled in the pool, resembling a fat seal and creating a messy splatter of water."Haha, she looks so ugly." People chuckled under their breath."Doesn't she resemble a swimming pig?""Hahaha, this is hilarious."From afar, Giselle watched, clenching her fingers around her wine glass until her knuckles turned white. Jade raised her glass at her from a distance, mouthing, 'You lost.'At Jade's provocation, Giselle simply turned away. Although she seemed unaffected, Jade knew she was close to l
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the entrance, as if some big shot had arrived. Jade instinctively turned toward the entrance. At the edge of the crowd, a man was being escorted inside. Caelan was wearing a sharp suit, looking cold and aristocratic and exuding his unique brand of charm with every move. Such a man was admired by almost every woman. When he arrived, the crowd automatically made way for him, looking at him in awe.Jade's heart pounded nervously, and her eyes were fixed straight ahead. Caelan's gaze swept over the crowd and landed on her, making her heart beat faster."Caelan's really here. Jade, you didn't expect this, did you? He actually came to celebrate my birthday. You, his own fiancee, mean nothing to him." Giselle smirked at Jade triumphantly.Jade froze on the spot, her fingers subconsciously curling into fists. She stared at Caelan, feeling an inexplicable sense of grievance as she watched him come near.When Caelan stood before them, Giselle immediately
The chill emanating from him froze the air around Caelan. Jade could clearly sense his incoming surge of anger. She knew it was a sign that he was about to lash out, as no man could tolerate this kind of humiliation."The photo isn't real," Jade said calmly, facing all the skeptical gazes.Giselle sneered. "Not real? So, it's been photoshopped then?""It's not been photoshopped either." Jade continued. "But there were clearly three people, yet only the man and I were captured in the photo. It was obviously a setup.""A setup? Are you saying I framed you?" Giselle exclaimed. "Would a decent woman go to a hotel with a man? Jade, stop lying. Since you think a photo doesn't prove anything, I'll have to present more compelling evidence."To crush Jade completely, Giselle instructed a servant, "Bring him."The others nervously watched the door, wondering who Giselle was referring to. Soon, a young man was brought over. Seeing the crowd, the man looked terrified, not daring to lift his
Jade watched coldly as Giselle was drowned in the crowd's comments, which contained no sympathy for her whatsoever. She had prepared thoroughly when she had decided to attend this banquet.Because of her memories of her past life, she knew about every trap Giselle had set, which had allowed her to anticipate and counter her every move.Giselle had bribed Aaron to smear Jade's name, so Jade had Owen scare Aaron a bit. It hadn't taken much, just revealing her identity to him had been enough. As expected, Aaron had been so terrified that he had turned on Giselle at the banquet, leaving her utterly humiliated.As Caelan watched the spectacle, his curiosity about Jade grew even stronger. She had remained calm, letting Giselle attack her, yet just when everyone had thought she had been about to hit rock bottom, she had executed a brilliant counterattack. Jade was very clever."Let's go," Caelan told Jade, his tone slightly softer than before.Jade knew he had changed opinion about her.
Giselle had never imagined that what was supposed to be a nice birthday party would turn into a laughing stock. Infuriated, she swept all the dishes off the table, dropping them on the floor and even smashing the expensive layered cake."Get out, all of you!" she yelled.At her outburst, everyone left, shaking their heads in pity. Giselle sat amidst the wreckage, hugging her knees and wailing. She couldn't understand why Caelan would reject someone as good as her and choose Jade, who was utterly useless. And to go as far as to embarrass her in front of everyone? Did he know how humiliated she felt?She alternated between crying and throwing things around, so the servants didn't dare to approach. It was only after she was done venting that they came over to clean the place up.…Meanwhile, Jade sat in the car, looking at Caelan with mixed emotions. After a while, she murmured, "Thank you for standing up for me."Caelan turned to look at her, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. "You
Kerry Pharmaceuticals, which was owned by the Zeals, had a significant reputation both domestically and internationally. Kerrigan, who was solely driven by profit, sold medications at exorbitant prices, even raising them over tenfold during times of epidemic outbreaks.Jade's impression of him was deeply ingrained. What was more, her ex-boyfriend in her previous life, Lloyd, happened to be Kerrigan's son."Oh, Mr. Kennedy, I've come to apologize." Emmett entered with a tearful demeanor, almost kneeling before Kennedy.Giselle followed him, looking sullen. Catching Jade's gaze, she glared at her resentfully. Emmett bowed repeatedly before Kennedy, who ignored him coldly. Unfazed, Emmett shamelessly continued. "Giselle caused a big mess today. I'm too ashamed to look at you, Mr. Kennedy. I plead with you and Mrs. Fitzgerald to forgive her youthful ignorance and give her a chance to change.""Youthful ignorance?" Kennedy retorted angrily. "She's four years older than Jade. Is that s
Giselle couldn't believe how quickly her father had caved in, especially considering what he told Jade right after she had been slapped across the face. She became frantic. "Dad, how could you...""Shut up!" Emmett bellowed. "If I hadn’t spoiled you since you were little, you wouldn’t have shamed our family so much. Slandering and framing others… Is that what an heiress should be doing? If Ms. Severin's slap hadn’t woken me up, I would have continued indulging you and letting you take the wrong path."Giselle dared not utter a word as Emmett scolded her. She had never seen her father so enraged before.Emmett recomposed himself and said after a glance at Kennedy, "As a token of my sincerity, I'm willing to offer one percent of the Withrows’ shares to Ms. Severin. Consider it my apology.""Dad!" Giselle shrieked in disbelief. "One percent of the shares? That’s worth millions. Are you giving them away to someone else just for this?"Not only was Giselle unable to fathom this, but ev
After Emmett and Giselle left, Jade turned to tell Kennedy, "Grandpa, I want to liquidate these shares. Can you help me?""Liquidate them? What do you want to do?" Kennedy asked, looking puzzled."I want to start a pharmaceutical company." Jade briefly explained her idea to Kennedy but didn't mention her specific purpose.Even so, her idea still surprised Kennedy and Caelan. Jade was just a university student, yet she had the resolution to start a company—a pharmaceutical one at that. They couldn't decide if she was too ambitious or just naive. Even though she knew a little about treating patients, pharmacology was completely different. Did she know much about it?"Jade, not to dampen your spirit, but starting a pharmaceutical company isn't easy. If you really want to start a business, consider jewelry or clothing. Those are easier to handle. Don't worry about funding as long as I’m around," Kennedy advised her sincerely, considering Jade's best interests.A young girl like her de
Chenelle's words made Jade clench her fists in anger. For someone so heartless, she really wanted to wake her up with a good beating.Taking a step forward, Jade grabbed Chenelle by the collar.Chenelle screamed, thinking Jade was about to hit her, and retreated in fear. "What are you doing? Do you want to hit me again?!"'So, she can also feel fear.'Jade sneered coldly, rolling up her sleeves to show the scars on her arm. "While you complain about the world's injustices, open your eyes wide and see that not everyone is as fortunate as you."I was also adopted, but compared to you, our lives are worlds apart. While you resent not getting enough attention, others are struggling to find their next meal. When you let jealousy drive you to harm others, some people are just praying to survive."Chenelle, you truly don't appreciate the blessings you have."Jade's fair arm was covered in scars of various sizes—burns, cuts, and a long stitched wound that looked like a centipede. Althou
Chenelle forcefully shook off Jade's hand, her eyes filled with venom as she spat, "You bitch! Stop pretending to be so righteous. I despise people like you the most. Do you think the Fitzgeralds adopted me out of kindness? No, it's because they felt guilty."Her face twisted with intense hatred, her gaze sweeping across everyone in the hall with a sharp, accusatory edge.When her eyes landed on Kennedy, her resentment peaked. "Ever since I stepped into the Fitzgerald household, you've treated me with hostility, never once showing me a kind face."My efforts to make you happy were like a dog desperately seeking attention. When you were in a good mood, you were somewhat kind to me, but when you weren't, you completely ignored me. "Do you think bringing me into the Fitzgeralds would make me grateful? No, it won't. I hate you. I hate every single one of you! You took away my only family and snuffed out the last bit of warmth I had."If it weren't for my father trying to protect Cael
After changing her clothes, Jade applied light makeup while standing in front of the mirror. As she gazed at her rosy reflection, fragments of the previous night's events flickered in her mind. Her cheeks flushed, and she covered her face with her hands, fanning herself nervously. 'What to do, what to do? How should I face Caelan later?'After much hesitation, Jade decided to face him. After all, they had already crossed all boundaries. Avoiding him now would be unnecessarily dramatic. Moreover, they would be living together in the future. It wasn't practical to keep avoiding him.With this thought, Jade felt significantly more at ease. As she approached the door, she heard Caelan's voice from the living room. "Hold her there. I'm coming right over." Puzzled, Jade opened the door and looked at Caelan.He ended his call and said, "We've found the person who drugged you. I'm heading over now.""Who is it?" Jade asked angrily.Caelan gave her a deep, serious look before replying,
'And then…' Thinking about it further, Jade couldn’t bear to continue. 'Could it be that I spent the night with Orion?!'"Morning..." The familiar deep voice sent a shiver through Jade, followed by a surge of joy enveloping her entire being. That voice, she would recognize it even in death.It was Caelan. This was Caelan's voice!Jade remained motionless, her body stiff. The swing from immense sorrow to immense joy was too overwhelming—she needed a moment to process it all."Why aren't you saying anything?" Caelan noticed Jade's odd behavior and propped himself up to look at her face, only to find her silently shedding tears.His heart clenched, and his first instinct was to apologize. "I'm sorry, last night I had no choice. Your situation was too dangerous—"Before he could finish, Jade threw herself into his arms.Caelan was at a loss, his body rigid, afraid to move a muscle.Tears dripped onto his chest, scorching his skin and softening his heart."Are you still in pain?" h
Jade felt as if her head was about to explode, her body burning, with her organs seemingly on the verge of combustion."Jade, Jade, wake up." Caelan gently patted Jade's cheek. The moment he touched her skin, he was startled by how scalding hot she felt.Jade's eyes fluttered open in a daze, her vision blurred, unable to discern the face looming close to hers. She grasped the cool hand on her face, pressing it tightly against her skin."So cool… So cool…" Jade murmured unconsciously, her body instinctively leaning closer. She wrapped her arms around the man's neck, rubbing against him desperately. "Help me… I feel so uncomfortable, so hot."Seeing her in such a state, Caelan felt an indescribable pain in his heart. His fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on the back of his hands as he commanded Samuel, "Find out who did this."Samuel nodded. "The doctor is on his way, but we need to lower Miss Severin's temperature immediately."Caelan's eyes darkened momentarily. He bent down,
Orion's face had turned a shade of red that was far from normal, yet he struggled to stay conscious, shaking his head with a bitter smile."I never thought I'd see the day when I'd be outsmarted."Jade's heart tightened in response. She had reserved a VIP suite in the hotel, with only two rooms on the entire floor. To ensure privacy, she had explicitly instructed that no one was to come upstairs. Now, Orion had been drugged, and she…A sudden spell of dizziness caused Jade's legs to give way. She clung to the door frame to avoid collapsing. To her horror, she realized she had been drugged too. 'Damn it! How could I have let my guard down?!'"I'll call for help. Don't move."Overwhelmed by the heat coursing through her body, Jade was on the brink of losing her sanity. In a bid to stay conscious, she dug her nails into her palm. The pain brought a moment of clarity, but it was fleeting. The heat surged back, stronger and more relentless than before. Fear crept up from Jade's feet
Jade arrived at the hotel and easily found the floor, unlocking Room 2020. As soon as she stepped inside, she was taken aback—red roses filled the entire room, and candles burned softly in the corners, creating a romantic and cozy atmosphere.This was the result of Melanie and Tiffany’s hard work all afternoon.As Jade walked on the soft carpet, Jade's heart danced with excitement. Today, she would give herself to Caelan—she was finally going to be his woman. She had been waiting for this day for so long.Her phone buzzed with a text message. Jade opened it and saw it was from Tiffany.Tiffany: [There's a gift for you on the bed. You're welcome.]'A gift? What kind of prank is this girl up to now?'Following Tiffany’s instructions, Jade found the gift on the bed. She opened it and gasped. A few black straps connected to bits of sheer fabric!'Lingerie?' Jade’s face turned crimson, and she quickly shoved the outfit back into the box. If she wore this to see Caelan, she’d rather
Caelan: [Alright, go ahead and get busy.]Jade felt a slight chill in her heart as she read the message from Caelan. Shouldn't he have asked where she was going? Why did he just reply with that?There was something off about Caelan's mood, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.Seeing Jade lost in thought, Melanie waved her hand in front of her friend's eyes. "Hey, snap out of it. Did Caelan say when he's coming?"Jade, feeling a bit down, replied, "I haven't figured out how to tell him yet.""What's there to figure out? My goodness." Melanie grabbed Jade's phone and quickly typed a message to Caelan.Jade: [I'll be waiting for you at 5:00 p.m. in Room 2020 of Serendipitus. We need to talk.]With a flourish, she sent the message and tossed the phone back to Jade.Jade's eyes widened in shock. "Melanie, can we really do this?""Why not? Trust me, right now Caelan is probably as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof, wondering if you're going to break up with him."Tiffany c
The car sped toward Jade's villa, coming to a stop.Caelan immediately took out his phone and called Jade. Just like before, there was no answer. While staring at the tightly shut door, Caelan's heart clenched. 'Could it be true, as Chenelle said, that Jade has fallen for Orion?'..."Hey, can't you two stop this?" Jade sighed in exasperation.She had been perfectly content at home when Tiffany and Melanie had barged in and dragged her out.To make matters worse, they had taken her phone. Their excuse was to make Caelan worry and see if he would dare to disappear again. Most importantly, they wanted to surprise him."Just relax and stay here. Tiffany and I will handle everything else," Melanie said, pressing Jade into a chair and thrusting a makeup brush into her hand. "You just focus on looking beautiful and don't worry about a thing, okay?"Jade couldn't help but laugh. "Can you two stop being so overbearing? I'm the main character here. Can't you show me some respect?"The