Jade collapsed backward immediately after speaking.Caelan swiftly dropped the umbrella he held, caught her falling body, and removed his suit jacket to cover her. He then lifted her and promptly entered the car.…Caelan sat by the bedside in the hospital room, looking at Jade's pale, lifeless face. Her words echoed in his mind, "I have no family anymore," accompanied by her desperate, hollow stare.He couldn't understand why such a strong person would be so shattered by a few words. Was family really that important to Jade?"Sir, Madam's fever has gone down. Why don't you go and rest for a while?" Samuel asked Caelan softly.Caelan pulled himself out of his thoughts, his brows furrowed. "Find out what Jacob used to threaten Madam Leah."Whatever made Leah declare that she was cutting ties with Jade must have been a compelling reason.Samuel nodded. "Okay. I'll go check right away."Soon, Samuel returned, looking somewhat troubled as he whispered to Caelan, "It seems that Jac
Caelan raised the bed so Jade could recline comfortably, then passed her a glass of water.The mention of the Severins brought tears to Jade's eyes once more. Big drops streamed down her cheeks, mingling with the water and lending it a bitter, salty taste. She drank the water quickly, swallowing hard to conceal her vulnerability from Caelan. With each gulp, she fought to suppress her tears.Setting the empty glass on the table, she wiped away her tears and nonchalantly said, "Is that so?""If you feel like crying, just let it out. Holding it in won't do you any good," Caelan said. He wasn't sure how to comfort her, but he sensed she needed to release her emotions.Jade shrugged. "I'm fine, really.""If you're really fine, then why were you out in the rain?" Caelan countered, each word sharp and probing.Jade nervously fidgeted with the bedsheets, trying to find an excuse for herself. "I-I just forgot my umbrella.""If that's the case, why did you stay out in the rain for so long
Kennedy didn't want to leave but felt it was necessary to make a sacrifice for his grandson's happiness. He nodded and said seriously, "Hmm, we should step aside. This is just too much."Although he said this aloud, he was inwardly overjoyed. At the rate things were progressing between them, he could soon have a great-grandchild.…Samuel took Kennedy to the VIP lounge, where he briefed him on what had happened.Kennedy listened, bristling with anger. He slammed his cane on the floor as he exclaimed, "Leah's wrong! She's the only one Jade has in this world, yet she says such heartless words. Isn't she just extinguishing the child's hope?"Samuel stood by with his head lowered, not daring to speak, only nodding occasionally in agreement."No! I'm going to Leah to demand an explanation. Why is she bullying my granddaughter-in-law like this?" Kennedy was hot-tempered, ready to go at a moment's notice.Samuel hurriedly stopped him. "Sir, the Severins aren't under Madam Leah's contro
Jacob dared not plead for Neve, nor did he even have the courage to look at her, standing silently with his head bowed."Shut up and apologize to Mr. Fitzgerald right now!" he barkedNeve was dumbfounded, never expecting Jacob to abandon her. Meanwhile, Kennedy's bodyguards had already pinned her firmly to a bench.One of the guards stood to the side holding a whip, as if ready to administer punishment."What are you doing? What do you want?!" Neve was genuinely frightened now, shouting and struggling to free herself. But she was held tightly and could only await her fate.Kennedy glared at her before entering Leah's room.Brianna was both excited and awestruck to see Kennedy. "Mr. Fitzgerald, you're here."Kennedy's arrival seemed to bring a glimmer of hope to the situation.Brianna helped Leah up, settling her by the bedside."Kennedy, how did this even reach you?" Leah felt ashamed. This was a family matter, and airing dirty laundry in public was shameful. Leah still cared
Before Neve could finish screaming, another lash struck her.After enduring dozens of lashes, her back was drenched in blood, her flesh torn open.Jacob, unable to bear the gruesome sight any longer, turned away. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his hands trembling despite being clenched into fists. He realized he wouldn't withstand such torture either."Mr. Kennedy, she has passed out."Neve had fainted after just over a dozen lashes.Kennedy glanced at her coldly and ordered, "Wake her up with water."Jacob stole a fearful glance at Kennedy, finding the kind-looking old man terrifying. Today, he finally confirmed the rumors about Kennedy's ruthless methods.Neve jolted awake as a bucket of cold water drenched her head. The searing pain seeped through her back like wildfire, engulfing every inch of her skin and bone, leaving her yearning for death. She wanted to scream, but the pain left her powerless.The whipping continued, a cycle of fainting and waking, like torture from hell
Kennedy was known to follow through with his actions. If he said he wanted Jacob's life, he wouldn't hesitate.Jacob was terrified beyond belief, nodding frantically and not daring to entertain any other thoughts.Kennedy glared at him coldly before instructing Brianna to escort Leah back to her room. Afterward, he dismissed Brianna and had a private conversation with Leah."Do you have nothing to say to me after I flaunted authority in your house?" Logically, as an outsider, Kennedy shouldn't interfere in Severin's matters. However, Leah's injury had provoked his anger, compelling him to intervene and not stand by while she was being bullied.Leah shook her head, smiling bitterly. "You've scolded and punished them. Am I supposed to kick up a fuss and drive you away?"Kennedy sighed, speaking seriously. "You're not someone without means. Yet you've let a descendant bully you. There must be more to this than meets the eye."Astute as Kennedy was, he instantly grasped the crux of t
Jade had already moved out by the time Jacob returned to the country. She had been staying either with Leah or with Caelan, both heavily guarded. How could Jacob find an opportunity?Leah's mind suddenly cleared. She nodded. "But the person in the video does look like you, Jade."Such childish tricks naturally couldn't deceive Jade. She looked at Caelan, who walked over and handed her a USB drive.Jade brandished it and told the two elders, "I've already watched the video. Although the woman in it looks like me, Jacob missed one detail. There's a red mole on my collarbone, which the person in the video doesn't have, and the shape of her ear is different too."Leah closed her eyes, filled with regret. How could she have missed such small details? She had been deceived by Jacob's lowly tactics for so long."Jade, it's all my fault…" Leah choked with tears. If she hadn't fallen for Jacob's trick, she wouldn't have let Jade suffer so much.Jade hugged Leah's arm, her eyes red. "I kno
Despite the long planning, Jade turned out to ultimately benefit from it. Although Jacob was indignant, he was powerless.…When Jade returned to the university on Monday, it was the day the monthly exam results were announced.All the students attached great importance to this exam because of the bet between Jade and Tiffany. Everyone wanted to see who would come out on top, and who would be Miss Clotheap.The atmosphere in the classroom was tense as the lecturer stepped onto the stage and scanned them. "The results of this month's exam are out."All the students looked in anticipation, except for Tiffany, who was confident and showed no signs of nervousness. After finishing the exam, she had already checked her answers and found only three mistakes, so she was completely confident of taking the first place."Who came in first?" someone asked.The lecturer's gaze swept across the room, and Tiffany anticipated her name would be called when she noticed the lecturer's eyes driftin