"Is it moral to insult and humiliate a classmate during an argument? They say birds of a feather flock together. Tiffany, you are the esteemed heiress of the McAuleys. How could you associate yourself with someone of such low ethics? Have the McAuleys’ years of upbringing gone to waste, or are your elegance and talent all just a façade? Is this your true nature?"If anyone could wield a sharp tongue, it would undoubtedly be Jade. With her sharp remarks, not only did she restore Melanie's dignity, but she also belittled Tiffany.This situation had been Tiffany and her clique's fault right from the start, and being ridiculed by Jade now made Tiffany feel frustrated yet wide awake. If it weren't for that girl's deliberate provocation, she wouldn't have ended up in such an awkward situation. However, she still couldn't accept being publicly criticized by Jade like this."Stop the car!" Tiffany shouted loudly, her temper flaring. Then, she began to pack her things to get off the bus.Th
Jade knew she and Tiffany didn't get along, but as one of the people in charge of this trip, it was her responsibility to ensure everyone's safety while going up the mountain and then back down."Nicole, Gina, could you two go with her?" Jade asked two girls.The two girls nodded and caught up to Tiffany. "Tiffany, let's go together."Tiffany glanced at them, neither speaking nor refusing. She couldn't bring herself to let go of her pride, but she also wasn't about to oppose the entire class.Seeing her accept the help, Jade continued walking with Melanie."Why did you help her?" Melanie objected. She did not like Tiffany after all.As the distance between everyone stretched out, Jade and Melanie walked leisurely behind.Jade, who was lost in the gentle breeze, stretched her arms to embrace the sunlight and said with a smile, "I'm not helping her. I'm just helping myself. If something happens to her, I'll be held responsible."Melanie pouted. "You're tough on the outside but so
Melanie looked at her pitifully and nodded. "I just wanted to scare you but I ended up scaring myself half to death.""Pfft, hahaha..." Jade burst into laughter, infuriating Melanie, who punched her. "Stop laughing!""Who told you to scare me?"The two of them giggled and continued walking toward the mountaintop. When they arrived, most of their classmates had already set up the tents.The once desolate mountaintop was now filled with laughter and vitality.Guys and girls teamed up, with the guys grilling and the girls arranging the food on the table.By the time night fell, dinner was ready."Jade, have a drink." Melanie handed Jade a bottle of beer with a grin.Jade graciously accepted it and clinked bottles with her. "Cheers."The two of them ate some barbecue and drank beer, laughing heartily, as though they had cast all their troubles aside.Feeling full and content, Jade was already a little tipsy, while Melanie leaned on her shoulder, still feeling excited."Let's fin
Melanie glanced at Tiffany in discontentment, feeling that she was too aloof and always acted like a spoiled princess."Let's go. Our priority now is to find the girls," Jade said.The mountain path was rugged and not easy to walk on.Jade led the way and had to constantly warn the others behind her, which was quite exhausting.Tiffany walked alone in the front, but she was unfamiliar with the mountain path, so she sprained her ankle after only taking a few steps.Upon seeing this, Jade had to stop and tell a girl behind her, "Take her back. Melanie and I will go ahead to take a look.""I'm not going back." Tiffany stubbornly tried to stand up, but the pain in her ankle was unbearable, so she had to sit back down.Seeing her persist in this condition, Jade said, "How can you go look for them like this? Listen to me and go back."Unexpectedly, Tiffany, who had always been competitive and strong-willed, suddenly put on a serious expression. "Jade, do you see me as just a spoiled
Jade closed her eyes, left speechless. "Don't tell me you came to settle the score with me.""Yeah, exactly," Cooper said childishly. "I've been following you since you went up the mountain. Didn't expect that, huh?"Jade secretly gathered all her strength and kicked Cooper's knee when he wasn't paying attention. "So, you're the one behind all the weird stuff happening on the mountain? Why scare the girls?""Ah!" Cooper cried out in pain, clutching his knee, but didn't forget to defend himself. "What weird stuff? I just wanted to scare you, that's all. Why would I scare anyone else?""It really wasn't you?" Jade asked, feeling skeptical."If I'm lying, may I… may I fall off the mountain and die," Cooper said desperately.Jade quickly stopped this nonsense. "If it was not you, then it was not you. It's bad luck to say such things."Since it wasn't Cooper, someone else must have been intentionally causing trouble. But who, and what for?Jade couldn't figure it out. Her current lo
Jade carefully descended to the bottom of the pit by using the rope. Then, she examined Tiffany. "Your arm is broken. I need to find something to keep it still."Beads of sweat formed on Tiffany's forehead as she looked steadily at Jade with a self-deprecating smile. "I never expected you to save me."As Jade stabilized Tiffany's arm, she replied, "Why not me?"She glanced at Tiffany, noticing a faint look of surprise on her face, and chuckled. "Did you think I wouldn't care about you because we're rivals?"Tiffany's eyes widened slightly. That was really what she had thought. Caught off guard by the fact that Jade had exposed her, she felt a bit awkward and turned her head away, no longer looking at Jade.Jade smiled knowingly, realizing that the proud Tiffany McAuley was feeling embarrassed.She didn't expose Tiffany's thoughts and instead tucked her loose hair behind her ear. Her eyes were bright as she said, "Alright, we can take you up now.""Cooper, you go up first and hel
Jade felt extremely troubled by Cooper's presence. Since someone was intending to harm her in secret, Cooper was like a ticking time bomb by her side, making her unable to relax. Jade felt that she could only feel at ease by keeping Cooper within her sight.Throughout the journey, Jade didn't even dare to blink, her nerves stretched taut. Meanwhile, Cooper seemed carefree, as he kept sleeping soundly.Melanie noticed the tension in her and said, "Jade, don't worry too much. Tiffany will be fine."She thought Jade was nervous about Tiffany's injury.Jade smiled at Melanie, reaching out to hold her hand. "I know. I'm not worried about her. I’m just thinking about something."Just as Melanie was about to ask what she was thinking about, a car came toward them, honking loudly and heading straight for the bus."Watch out!" Jade exclaimed. She dashed to the driver's side and pulled the handbrake.Thanks to Jade's warning, the driver instinctively hit the brakes.The bus tires screech
Cooper had long been fed up with these brainless students, who, despite their high IQ, lacked common sense and acted like big babies. Jade clearly had their best interests at heart, but they didn't appreciate it.He sauntered up to the door of the bus with a disdainful smirk. "I'd like to see what kind of fool will dare to test my patience."Cooper was notorious for fighting at school. Whenever the students saw him, they would steer clear of him. No one dared to provoke such a tyrant.As soon as he spoke, some people dared not move. However, some people weren't afraid, and one of them declared, "Cooper, others may fear you, but I don't. I'm going out."Cooper crooked his finger at the challenger, sneering, "Come on up and try your luck."The guy couldn't tolerate this provocation, but as soon as he stepped forward, Cooper swiftly kicked him back with his long leg. The guy fell to the floor, unable to get up for a while, and just glared at Cooper resentfully."Sorry, I forgot to t
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