Caelan was wearing a sharp suit. His gaze was icy, his expression rigid, and the chill radiating from him sent shivers down everyone's spine.As the heir of the Fitzgerald Group, he stood at the pinnacle of the Centus elite. He held everyone's fate in his hands. The board of trustees was shocked by his arrival and terrified by his words.Apologize?Did Caelan really expect them, all prominent figures in their respective circles—bank presidents, government officials, etc.—to apologize to Jade, a mere fledgling, who had barely made her mark?This was humiliating.The atmosphere in the room froze, and no one dared to speak up, even though they all felt disdain deep down. If they had to apologize to Jade, they might as well drop dead."Mr. Fitzgerald, isn't this a bit unreasonable? I'm a bureau head, yet you expect me to apologize to a young girl like Jade? What about my reputation?" Khloe was the first to speak up, shooting a glance at Larry as she spoke.Larry understood her mea
Vincent watched the board of trustees with a smile, a cunning gleam in his eyes. Previously, these people had treated him like a doormat because of their power and influence. Seeing them groveling now made him feel like he was finally getting his dues.While everyone else's minds were racing, Jade stood frozen in place, staring at Caelan. It felt like a thunderbolt had struck her heart, and she experienced a growing sense of exhilaration. Being held in such high regard felt unexpectedly good."Mr. Fitzgerald, is everything settled now?" Khloe's fawning grin was completely different from her earlier haughty demeanor.Larry also dropped his authoritative stance, bowing as if he were a lowly servant, afraid of offending the bigwig before him.Samuel glanced at Caelan and realized Caelan's mind was not on these clowns. He waved his hand and informed the board, "You can leave now.""What about the blackmail?" Khloe asked cautiously."Since all of you have apologized, there's no need t
Jade felt pliant in Caelan's arms, her unique scent greeting him and momentarily stunning him.Jade felt Caelan tense up and smiled, her arms tightening around him. "Thank you for standing up for me. Thank you...""For liking me" was what she would have said if she had finished her sentence.Caelan slowly lifted his arms, letting them hover above Jade's shoulders, his fingers curling and then straightening before he gently held on to her shoulders. Her embrace felt warm, and he liked it."How childish," he said, even though he actually liked it a lot.Jade didn't mind, knowing that Caelan was wary of physical closeness due to childhood trauma. The fact that he didn't push her away on the spot was already a win."Mr. Fitzgerald." Samuel suddenly pushed the door open, saw the scene, and quickly backtracked.Caelan, however, nonchalantly let go of Jade and called out, "What's the matter?"Samuel's heart was pounding. He realized he had walked in at the worst possible moment. He sh
Quincy looked at Jade skeptically. "I said so many bad things about you. Aren't you going to retaliate?""I admit that I don't harbor good feelings for you, but Clotheap University isn't owned by the Severins, and I don't have the power to decide your fate either. You encouraged other students to fight with me and slander me—this is an undeniable fact. Your punishment is up to the school authorities, understand?"Quincy breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Jade's words. "As long as you don't retaliate, I don't mind waiting for the school's decision."Jade felt speechless. It seemed like Quincy was treating her like some kind of gang boss. Caelan's actions today would probably intimidate quite a few people, but it was better this way, as people would avoid provoking her all the time."Do you still have something to say?" Melanie asked when she saw Quincy lingering there.Quincy hesitated for a moment, looked around to ensure no one was nearby, then told Jade, "I know who sent the
The guy spoke with a frivolous tone, and his expression was even more contemptuous. "Women like her will do anything for money. She's a server at the club, but as long as the customer pays, she'll drink, sing, and even let you touch her without saying a word."Low laughter echoed around, mostly guys’ laughter. It seemed that Lilith's reputation wasn't a secret among them anymore.Jade didn't want to listen to the guy's vulgarity anymore, so she grabbed Melanie and left."I never expected Lilith's reputation to be this bad. What kind of decent person would work at a place like that?" Melanie lamented.Jade was indifferent. She hadn't interacted with Lilith much. The only time had been in the cafeteria, and Lilith had given off the impression that she was bossy and hard to get along with.As for what those guys had said, Jade couldn't agree, nor could she approve of it. She wouldn't know what kind of person Lilith was until she saw her with her own eyes.Jade walked briskly ahead,
The security guard saw that Jade seemed sober and Melanie had stopped shouting, so he left."Jade, are you going to let her go just like that?" Melanie complained. "She's definitely Lilith. I remember the birthmark on her neck. I can't be mistaken."Jade signaled to her to calm down and explained slowly. "I know she's Lilith, but you saw that she wouldn't admit it no matter what. If we keep making a scene, it won't benefit us in any way.""Then what should we do?" Melanie was at a loss."Let's wait outside. She'll finish her shift eventually." Jade smirked.Melanie immediately understood and snapped her fingers. "Right, let's play the waiting game."An hour later, Lilith finally walked out of the club. She looked around cautiously, relieved to see no one around, and kept walking. She was wearing a cap and a mask, covering herself securely, as if she was deliberately avoiding someone."She's finally out," Melanie said excitedly, ready to grab Lilith. However, Jade stopped her.I
The man raised his fist to strike Lilith's head, and she instinctively protected it, bracing herself for the expected pain."Stop!" Just then, a crisp voice rang out.The man halted his fist and looked around, only to see two young, pretty girls standing at the end of the alley. Compared to Lilith, they were even more beautiful and elegant. They looked almost like movie stars.The three men instantly ogled them, drooling like wolves seeing the juicy piece of meat they'd been longing for."Oh, where did you come from? Did you skip school to be a hero?" The man who had intended to harm Lilith earlier whistled at Jade, leering at her greedily."Yo, I'll take the skinny one. You can have the curvy one, okay?" One of the man's henchmen pointed at Melanie, swallowing hard.Melanie, who felt sick, retorted, "In your dreams. Take a good look at yourself before you speak."Lilith had never expected Jade and Melanie to come to her rescue. She stood stunned there for a moment, then reacted
She had seemed all tough just now, but she instantly turned into a fangirl.Jade and Melanie exchanged a glance, feeling that the change was a bit swift."Ahem, alright. Stop staring. You don't want your eyeballs to fall out." Melanie blocked Lilith's line of sight forcibly.Lilith reluctantly averted her gaze, reverting to her normal expression. She said insincerely, "Thank you."Jade didn't mind her attitude and got straight to the point. "Lilith, why did you frame me?" she asked.Lilith stiffened, her guilty eyes darting around. "Since you know it was me, I don't have much to say. What you want to do with me is up to you."Her words angered Melanie. "You not only framed someone without a word of apology, but you also sound so self-righteous. Maybe I should expose what you did to the school and give you a taste of public scorn too."Lilith's eyes welled up suddenly as she looked resentfully at Melanie, still as stubborn as a mule. "Do as you please. Report me if you want.""H