Jade was caught off guard and pulled into a corner, with the wall behind her and Lloyd's gloomy face in front of her. He had her trapped in his embrace, his hands propped against the wall."Why are you avoiding me?" Lloyd asked with a dark expression, his gaze filled with confusion.Ever since their night together in the hotel, Jade had returned to her cold demeanor toward him. No matter how hard he tried to please her or show affection, she remained as unyielding as a rock, unmoved by his efforts. She even mocked his excessive enthusiasm, ridiculing him for overestimating himself.Lloyd couldn't grasp the problem, so he resorted to this forceful approach to compel Jade to reveal the answer.When Jade saw that it was Lloyd, her brief surprise turned into disgust. She pushed his arms away and sneered. "Lloyd, what are you trying to do? This is a school. Before doing anything, please use your brain and think about the consequences."Jade's indifference hurt Lloyd deeply. His gaze br
"This treatment today is still light. If you ever try to offend me again, I'll make sure you regret it for the rest of your life," Jade spat at Lloyd before leaving.Lloyd squatted on the ground, watching her retreating figure with a dark gaze. He had never been treated like this by a woman before. His pride and dignity were trampled under Jade's feet."Jade, Jade..." Lloyd murmured slowly, intense hatred clouding his rationality.If his previous obsession with Jade was because of her talent, his current obsession with her was purely a twisted and dark psychological issue. He secretly vowed to make Jade kneel before him one day, humbly begging for his forgiveness to erase his shame today.Lloyd left the campus in a sorry state. Once he went completely out of sight, a pair of woman's feet were revealed."What a surprise today." Raelyn had come to request leave for Tiffany but unexpectedly witnessed a good show.She had captured the moment Lloyd forcibly kissed Jade. Because of the
Melanie was taken aback and rolled her eyes at Jade. "What do you mean even I noticed? I'm not blind. I just find it strange how this guy suddenly became interested in you. I absolutely don't believe that he's infatuated with you.""No, I need to look into this," Jade insisted. She sensed something was amiss but hadn't yet considered Raelyn's involvement. She simply asked Owen to investigate what was happening with Lloyd.…A day later, Owen reported back to Jade, "Lloyd and you both visited the same hotel, but the specific reason remains unclear."The situation felt like it was veiled in a thick fog, obscuring clarity and understanding.Jade only had a vague sense that there might be a connection between Lloyd and Raelyn.…While Jade was investigating Lloyd, Caelan received something on his end. An anonymous email arrived with several attached photos: Jade checking into Room 108/9, Lloyd entering, and ultimately, the two of them sharing a kiss.The photos were all in high def
Twenty minutes later, Jade applied light makeup and checked herself in the mirror, feeling satisfied with her reflection.Melanie also nodded in approval. Then she furrowed her brow, pointing disapprovingly at Jade's jeans and shirt. "You're not really going on a date dressed like that, are you?"Jade also found it a bit inappropriate, especially since it was their first date. However, most of her wardrobe consisted of casual clothes, with only a few formal options like evening dresses."What should I do?" Jade lamented."Go buy something," Melanie said excitedly, grabbing Jade's hand. "I've been wanting to go shopping anyway, but I have a condition. You have to treat me to coffee later."Jade rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Accompanying me shopping is just an excuse. You really just want coffee, don't you?""Of course not! You're my top priority," Melanie teased.The duo left the school happily, heading straight to the mall.…Half an hour later, Jade picked out a dress—a s
After Jade changed into her new outfit in the dormitory, she noticed it was almost time for her date, so she headed out.…The Lochan wasn't far from her university, so Jade arrived after a 20-minute drive. She enjoyed the food's flavor there. It surprised her that someone like Caelan, who appeared disconnected from worldly affairs, also enjoyed this place.As Jade got out of her car, she saw Samuel waiting at the entrance."Ms. Severin, you're here," he greeted warmly, then gave Jade a pointed look. "You haven't had anything unusual going on these past few days, have you?"Jade felt puzzled by Samuel's odd behavior and asked, "What do you mean?"Her bewilderment made it clear that she was unaware of being set up.Samuel immediately explained the situation, recounting the anonymous email sent to Caelan. "The photos are in Mr. Fitzgerald's hands now. You should go ask him yourself."Jade asked, "So, is he not here for dinner tonight, but to interrogate me?""Ms. Severin, you're
Sighing, Jade resigned herself. "No one, just feeling a bit frustrated lately.""Did Samuel tell you about the photos?" Caelan thought for a moment, then remembered the anonymous email.Jade quickly went along and nodded. "It's been a string of bad luck lately, one thing after another. The other party won't stop until they bring me down.""I've already had someone look into it. You don't need to worry, I'll handle it." Caelan was unusually gentle and considerate, and it instantly dissolved Jade's temper.She reached a hand out to Caelan. "Where are the photos? Let me see."Caelan brought up the photos on his phone and placed it in her hand, saying, "Just some lowly trickery, unworthy of attention."Jade took his phone. Upon seeing the kissing photo with Lloyd, she felt her stomach churn and she huffed in anger. "How despicable of them to intentionally play with angles for deception!"Afterward, she looked at Caelan somewhat gratefully. "Thank goodness you trust me. Otherwise, I
Caelan appeared devoid of happiness, his brows knitted in a deep furrow."This is just the initial model, not fully developed yet. Currently, it can only track locations. When upgraded in the future, it will offer more functions," he explained briefly to Jade.Despite its preliminary state, Jade felt content. She expanded on Caelan's thoughts. "In the future, will it be able to make calls and video calls?"Jade's eyes sparkled as she gazed at Caelan. The admiration in her expression pleased him, eliciting a rare smile. "For now, there are only two units—one with you and one with me."He showed Jade his wrist, where he also had a wristband identical to hers, except slightly larger.Jade touched the wristband on her wrist, the sweetness in her smile reaching deep into her heart. Only two units—that meant they were a couple's edition.Such a unique gift was far superior to rings or necklaces."What's up?" Caelan asked softly as he saw her grinning foolishly.His deep voice echoed
Samuel hailed a taxi on the roadside and waved to Jade. "Ms. Severin, thank you. I'm so happy today."As the taxi drove away, Jade shook her head, smiling in disbelief. Did they truly need to react like that just because Caelan smiled a bit more?Upon returning to her dormitory, Melanie's excited voice greeted her. "Wow, can you believe it? Kerry's stocks are plummeting so much!"Jade leaned in to get a closer look and confirmed Melanie's observation: Kerry Pharmaceutical's stocks were on a clear downward trend.With a confident smile, she remarked, "Their stocks are bound to plummet. Unless they figure out a solution soon, the decline will likely continue.""At this rate, bankruptcy isn't far off, right?" Melanie exclaimed.Jade smirked, her eyes glinting icily. Kerry Pharmaceutical's retribution had finally arrived.'Lloyd, I'm going to make you watch as Kerry crumbles in your hands, bit by bit. That feeling of helplessness and inevitable loss must be unbearable, right? Whatev