Jade smiled gently as she greeted Elena and Leo one by one. "Sorry to keep you waiting.""No, no, we haven't been here long," Elena replied, her eyes scanning the area behind Jade, searching in vain for Caelan. A hint of disappointment crept into her voice as she added, "Did Mr. Fitzgerald not come with you?"Their primary purpose was to meet Caelan, so not seeing him dampened their spirits a bit. Jade's eyes sparkled with a bright light as she offered a soft smile and said, "Something came up at the company. He’ll join us a bit later.""Oh, I thought so. Mr. Fitzgerald would never miss an appointment," Elena said with a palpable sigh of relief.If Jade had not given her this reassurance, how could she maintain her standing before Leo?As they settled into their seats, Elena handed the menu to Jade. "Order whatever you like."Jade, aware of the courtesy, decided to reciprocate by ordering a few dishes that Caelan particularly enjoyed.Noticing the selection was rather light, E
Although Leo was a director, the entertainment industry was teeming with directors. Without a strong background or influence, he still had to be mindful of others' attitudes.Elena, unable to avoid his pestering, finally nodded. "Fine, I'll go, but just for one drink. If he tries to stop me, don't blame me for losing my temper.""Alright, whatever you say." Leo sighed in relief, but worry gnawed at him.Ian Ford had been eyeing Elena's beauty for some time, lacking any opportunity until now. Inviting her to this drinking party was unlikely to let her go easily. He could only hope nothing bad would happen. His face, twisted in anxiety, reflected his inner turmoil.Jade noticed their expressions, feeling a surge of tension. Although Jade hadn’t known Elena long, she admired her personality.Moreover, she was Julian’s fiancée. Even though their engagement wasn't yet annulled, it meant there was still a connection between Julian and her.Rescue or not? The decision was hers to make.
After sitting for over ten minutes, a sudden sharp sound came from the neighboring room, followed by a woman's scream. The voice belonged to Elena, but her scream was abruptly muffled.Jade's heart skipped a beat. She rose and headed toward the adjoining room, only to be blocked by Leo, who looked troubled. "Miss Severin, please don't get involved. If something happens to you, I won't be able to explain it to Mr. Fitzgerald."His expression disgusted Jade, and she felt a wave of nausea. In such moments, she became eerily calm. "So, my life matters but Elena's doesn't? If you're so scared, then just sit here..."Jade paused before slowly spitting out the words, "And continue being a coward.""I..." Leo was stunned by her words. Before he could react, Jade had already kicked open the door to the next room.Though slender, she stood in the doorway with an overbearing presence.The room was filled with smoke and chaos. Seven or eight burly bodyguards stared menacingly at Jade as she
Everyone followed Jade's delicate ankle and saw that she was wearing 10-centimeter-high heels, the sharp stiletto points like spikes. Jade struck with a single kick, and everyone turned their gaze to the writhing Ian, who was now on the ground squirming like a worm. They couldn't bear to watch and closed their eyes.Jade’s kick might have made him impotent. Elena's face turned pale with fear. Ian had a powerful influence in the entertainment industry, with many underlings at his command. Calling him a kingpin wasn't an exaggeration. Now, seeing him in this half-dead state, Jade was surely in serious trouble.Elena snapped back to reality, trembling as she shouted at Jade, "Go, let's go!"Jade had offended Ian to save her. If this brought trouble, Elena would never forgive herself.Jade didn't run or dodge. Her icy gaze remained fixed on Ian, who was still rolling on the ground.She spoke in a cold voice. "Release her immediately, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened."
"I'm sorry, Jade. It's my fault. He caught me as soon as I brought in the pepper spray!" Elena sobbed, her fear evident.Ian's vicious reputation was well-known. No star he set his sights on had ever escaped his grasp.Rumors abounded about him destroying a third-tier actress, leaving her with a hysterectomy and a shattered dream of motherhood. His influence was so formidable that no one dared to pursue justice, forcing the poor actress to flee overseas, never to return.Jade offered Elena a gentle smile and replied, "I told you that you would be safe. And you will be."Elena's eyes widened in astonishment. "What do you mean?"Given their dire situation, how could Jade still be joking?No matter how skilled Owen was, he couldn't take on 20 men alone."What bold words."A lazy drawl echoed. Upon hearing it, a smile spread across Jade's face. 'Perfect timing.'At the end of the corridor, a team of black-suited bodyguards appeared, each with muscular, trained builds. Their mere p
Caelan gazed at Ian's pleading face, a surge of anger welling up within him. Had he arrived a moment later, Jade’s fate would have been uncertain under this man's hands. To let him off easily was out of the question.The room was silent as a grave, punctuated only by Ian's terrified whimpers echoing off the walls.Samuel cast a furtive glance at Caelan's face, noting the dark storm clouding his features and the killing intent blazing in his eyes. Never had he seen such ferocity in Caelan’s gaze before. Clearly, Ian had crossed a forbidden line.Jade was that line. She was Caelan’s untouchable boundary—no one could harm her."Sir," Samuel murmured to Caelan. "Allow me to handle this."Caelan’s fury did not abate—if anything, it intensified."From today, I don’t want to see him in Centus again," he commanded, his voice icy.As his words echoed in the room, Ian wailed, "No, please! Don’t send me away from Centus, I beg you, Mr. Fitzgerald, please!"He was accustomed to ruling Cent
Leo had just been slapped, and instead of putting on his usual airs, he held his cheek in guilt. "I had no idea something like this would happen. You were just supposed to accompany him for drinks. How did it escalate into this mess?" His tone implied that Elena was at fault.Jade couldn’t stay silent any longer. Her voice was firm as she shot back, "Do you even count as a person? You knew full well that Ford had been lusting after Elena for a while, yet you sent a young woman to accompany him."Did you truly not know she’d be in danger? Or did you know and still went ahead? Reaching your level of vileness is truly disgusting."Elena's verbal tirade was something Leo might have accepted, but Jade was a different matter. Her opinion represented Caelan’s stance. If she held a grudge against Leo, it would jeopardize the investment.Realizing this, Leo quickly adopted a fawning expression. "Oh, Miss Severin, you misunderstand me. How could I be that kind of person? If I’d known Ian w
Caelan left with Jade in tow, their strides purposeful and unyielding.Following closely behind, Elena took a few steps before halting and turning back to Leo.He, clinging to old ties, attempted to appeal to her with desperate eyes. "Elena, I know you are the best. Could you speak on my behalf?"As he rushed forward with a hopeful expression on his face, Elena's demeanor shifted. She smiled in satisfaction before swiftly changing her expression and delivering a stinging slap across his face.The sound echoed sharply, leaving Leo’s cheek visibly swollen. He clutched his face, rage contorting his features as he spat out, "Don’t think just because the Fitzgeralds are backing you, I can’t touch you. A single call from me, and you won’t get another role."Elena’s eyes narrowed, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. She crossed her arms, gazing at Leo with disdain. "Do you really think it’s over just like that?"A flicker of unease passed through Leo. "What do you mean?""You've offend