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
Neve was anxious. These days, she had noticed that Lloyd was no longer paying attention to her. If she couldn't marry into the Zeals, she wouldn't be able to establish herself in the entertainment industry.A bold idea suddenly flashed in Neve's mind: What if she aced this exam? Wouldn't that secure her the title of Miss Clotheap? If so, both Jade and Tiffany would be left in the dust. Neve would ascend to legendary status at Clotheap University.The more Neve thought about it, the more excited she became. She composed herself and called Jacob. "Jacob, can you help me with something?""What's up? Tell me," Jacob replied.Glancing around to make sure nobody was listening, Neve said, "I need the test papers for this coming exam.""No problem." Although Jacob didn't ask Neve what she needed them for, he had already guessed that it had something to do with the competition for Miss Clotheap. He was fully supportive of Neve in order to secure that title.…In a blink of an eye, the da
No one would have imagined that the person who had stolen the test papers was actually in their own class. Everyone was discussing who it could be.The lecturer asked everyone to quiet down and looked at Laura. "Laura, come up to the front."Laura felt utterly confused, unsure of what was happening, yet she obediently went up to the front. "What's the meaning of this?""What's the meaning of this? Are you still pretending to be clueless? You've disappointed me too much," the lecturer said angrily with a raised voice. "The papers were found under your bed. How much longer are you going to hide it?""What?!" Laura exclaimed. "I didn't steal the papers. Are you sure you've got the right person?""You didn't steal the papers? Then explain why the papers were found under your bed.""I-I don't know," Laura said, feeling wronged. "But I didn't do it! Why are you trying to make me admit to something I didn't do?""No need to say anymore. Have your parents come here. The university takes
As expected, Laura's face contorted with anger. "I'm going to confront her."Ignoring Neve's protests, she ran toward the classroom.Neve watched her go with a sinister smile.'Fight!' she thought.The harder they fought, the less attention there'd be on the test paper issue. That was the only way for Neve to come out of this unscathed.As for Laura, Neve thought she shouldn't have stayed at a prestigious school like Clotheap University in the first place. Consider it bad luck that Laura ended up taking the blame for her.…Laura stormed into Jade's dormitory, shoving the door open and shouting, "Jade, come out!"Jade was already aware of the leaked test papers, but she hadn't expected Laura to come looking for her. She walked to the door and saw Laura, furious, with a crowd of onlookers behind her. "You're looking for me?" Jade asked."Jade, in front of all these classmates, did you steal the papers to frame me?" Laura's emotions boiled as she glared at Jade, ready to tear
Jade flashed a helpless smile at Melanie. "Guess it's just the classic case of jealousy, huh?""Jealousy?" Melanie paused for a moment, then suddenly understood. "You mean Cooper?""Who else could it be? Even a fool can see that Laura has a crush on him," Jade replied with exasperation.Melanie nodded, then furrowed her brows. "But that still shouldn't be a reason for her to come after you."Jade smiled wryly. Jealousy could really drive people insane.…Later that afternoon, Jade spotted Laura on her way to class.Laura was accompanied by her parents, who wore troubled expressions, barely able to lift their heads. As Jade and Laura's eyes met, a flicker of anger flashed in Laura's eyes."I won't let you off the hook," Jade murmured, reading Laura's lips.Laura left the school—expelled.The incident gradually faded from everyone's memory after it circulated for a while. Jade busied herself with her laboratory work and studies, eventually forgetting about it as well.…Dur
After Laura left, Jade pushed Cooper aside. "Why did you let Laura misunderstand?"Cooper shrugged nonchalantly. "I had to do something to stop her from pestering me. If I didn't divert her attention to you, who knows how long she'd keep bothering me."Jade rolled her eyes at him and walked ahead, but Cooper stuck to her like a fly. "Wait up! Where are you going?""I'm going to eat. Do me a favor and don't follow me, okay?"Cooper's eyes lit up. "Perfect, I haven't eaten either. Let's go together."Dealing with someone as shameless as him rendered Jade speechless.They found a restaurant and sat down.Jade intended to order something casual, but Cooper ended up ordering a feast—appetizers, mains, desserts, soup, the works.Jade frowned at him. "Can you finish all of these?" Cooper replied with a confident smile, "Of course I can."As they began to eat, Jade couldn't shake off the image of Laura's gaze when she left. She asked Cooper, "What's your deal with her?""What deal?
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