For the first time, Lloyd felt that targeting Jade might have been a mistake. The last time the Zeal Group had collaborated with Neve, not only had they not gained any benefits, but they’d almost tarnished their reputation in the industry. This time, he had fallen into Jade's trap again."I want to see her." Lloyd's words startled his assistant. Jade's status was special—she was the future Mrs. Fitzgerald. Was Lloyd joking about wanting to see her?"I'm afraid Ms. Severin may not agree," the assistant warned him quietly.Lloyd nodded, so the assistant thought he had taken this into account. Unexpectedly, he said, "I'll go directly to the school to find her."The assistant stared in astonishment while Lloyd strode out of his office. Then, he drove straight to Clotheap University.As the heir of the Zeal Group, Lloyd might not overshadow Caelan in status, but he was still admired by the female students on campus, so his arrival upset the entire school."Oh my God, it's Lloyd. He's
In spite of this, Jade remained unfazed and let out a chuckle."Lloyd, what makes you think I would shake hands and make peace with you? We've never been friends in the past, and we certainly will not become friends in the future."He had smeared her name behind her back, then turned around and acted as if nothing had happened, chatting with her as if they were old pals. Such a person either had incredibly thick skin or no shame at all.Lloyd hadn't expected Jade to reject his request and even go as far as to mock him. His hurt pride made his expression turn fierce."Jade, are you sure you want to go against me? Don't think that just because you have the Fitzgerald Group backing you up, I can't touch you. The Zeals are not to be trifled with. You better think about this carefully."Seeking reconciliation and then resorting to threats when his attempt failed? Was Jade supposed to be afraid of him? It was laughable."Bring it on. If I even frown, I'll leave Clotheap University imme
In the afternoon, the campus forum was once again hijacked by a mysterious person. Posts about Neve being a hypocrite flooded the forum, not only detailing the way she had been bullying Jade but also explaining why Jade hadn't visited Leah—which was because Neve had stopped her from entering the house. They even posted photos of her rejecting the supplements Jade had brought, revealing her vile side. Everyone saw the scars on Jade's arms from when Neve had burned her with a cigarette during their childhood, along with various other pieces of evidence that shocked the netizens.Some busybodies even discovered that Neve had drugged Jade at her engagement banquet and ended up getting deflowered herself. However, due to lack of evidence, the netizens remained skeptical.Further down the thread were various photos intended to vilify Neve, making her look like a disaster scene.Upon seeing this, Melanie laughed until tears streamed down her face. "Well done, Jade. You've got quite the kna
"Let's go check it out," Jade told Melanie.Melanie nodded, grabbed a nunchuck, and strapped it to her waist. "Don't be scared. If they lay a hand on you, I'll fight them off with my life.""No need to do that. Our lives are precious," Jade replied, rubbing Melanie's head with a warm smile.The two of them left the dorm room together. When the crowd saw Jade come out, everyone looked at her angrily."Jade, no matter what, Neve is still your sister. It's bad enough that you attacked and smeared her on the forum, but now you're humiliating her and questioning her innocence. Look, she's about to jump off the building. If anything happens to her, you'll be a murderer.""Yeah, doesn't your conscience hurt?"Facing the crowd's insults, Jade remained calm and looked at everyone coldly. "I'm a murderer? And what are you? Instead of calling 911 to save someone who's about to jump off a building, you gathered here to make a scene. Are you not concerned about the situation? Are you delibera
In front of Jade, however, Neve still had to pretend to be at the end of her rope, determined to kill herself. "Don't come any closer, or I'll jump."Jade slowly approached Neve with a smile. Her eyes were cold, like a monster ready to strike at any moment. "You want to jump, huh? Alright, I'll accompany you."When Jade strode closer, Neve began to panic. She wanted to step back, but there was no place behind her to retreat to.The lackeys holding on to Neve also turned pale, staring blankly as they stood there frozen, watching as Jade approached step by step. They probably hadn't expected Jade to be bold enough to come forward regardless of the threat to Neve's life.As Neve watched Jade approach, her eyes flashed with a hint of viciousness. She pretended to lose control of her emotions and screamed, "Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer, or I'll jump!"She began to wave her arms wildly, teetering on the edge of the rooftop.The students below gasped, watching the scene
Melanie had seen it all clearly from below just now. It was Neve who had secretly pushed Jade and almost caused her to fall off the building. It was truly frightening how a cunning person like Neve could still pretend to be innocent."I didn't mean to, I really didn't mean to." Noticing how aggressive Melanie was, Neve kept backing away, frantically waving her hands to deny this."Enough with your act. We don't need you to act innocent here." Melanie grew angrier as she spoke. Seeing Neve's hypocrisy made her see red, and she reached out to push Neve.Unexpectedly, Neve fell to the floor like a leaf as soon as Melanie's hand touched her shoulder. Melanie stared dumbfounded at her, her anger boiling over as she stuttered, "Hey, you—you—I didn't even push you yet!"Neve's lackeys rushed forward, helping Neve up while accusing Melanie. "Melanie, you went too far. Neve is so frail, yet you still pushed her."Neve shook her head tearfully. "No, don't blame Melanie. I just lost my balan
Among these people, the one who reacted the most was Laura. When she saw Cooper step forward, her expression changed instantly—she wasn't afraid, she rather looked like she was hurt."Cooper, are you sure you want to speak up for Jade?" She spoke in a completely different tone from her earlier tough demeanor. Her demeanor had softened a lot, and even her gaze on Cooper became gentle.Jade wasn't the only one who noticed. Even Melanie caught on. "What's going on? Why do I feel like Laura is interested in Cooper?"Jade shrugged, making a gesture to imply that she was just as clueless."What, do you have a problem with this?" Cooper said gruffly, looking at Laura with a cold gaze. "If you dare to touch Jade, I won't let you off the hook."Laura had never been embarrassed like this before, so she immediately burst into tears. "Cooper, don't take this too far. What am I to you if you protect her like this?"There were gasps all around them.The information contained in Laura's words
The bet was set."Jade, I'll surely defeat you," Tiffany whispered as she passed by Jade. "I will make everyone know that I am the true number one at Clotheap University."She then walked away with an air of arrogance.Watching her leave, Melanie looked worriedly at Jade. "You've gotten yourself into trouble this time, Jade.""Why do you say that?" Jade asked, puzzled.Melanie looked surprised. "Don't you know? The McAuley Group is quite significant in Centus. Tiffany has been groomed as the heiress since childhood, is fluent in several languages, and excels in various fields like music, chess, academics, and painting. She's the limelight growing up.""So what?" Jade was still confused."Because your existence threatens her position. There's no room for two at the top. How could she allow you to steal her spotlight?" Melanie analyzed.Jade shook her head but appeared to agree with Melanie. "You're right."Actually, the reason Tiffany came to pick on her was not as Melanie had
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