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
"No need for you to step in. It’ll only create more chaos. Leave it to me," Jade reassured her calmly.Elena's frustration was palpable over the phone. "I can't believe someone would be so malicious as to post such nonsense online! If I find out who did it, they’re going to pay.""Whoever is behind it clearly isn't afraid of being caught. Otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered to slander me," Jade replied with a hint of indifference, her hands busily searching for study materials.Elena, worried, asked, "Are we just going to let them get away with this?"Concerned about Jade being hounded by this issue, Elena feared it would cause her more trouble.Biting the end of her pen in thought, Jade studied an anatomy chart and responded nonchalantly. "How could they? They can't really harm me. If I let myself get worked up over every little thing like this, I'd be exhausted all the time. The best approach is to ignore it. They'll stop once they see it doesn't bother me.""I hope you're r
Melanie was swiftly taken to Centus Hospital after the incident, which had caused quite a commotion and attracted a crowd of students.The area outside was packed with onlookers, some even capturing the scene on their phones. Speculations ran wild, with many saying that Jade had offended someone, leading to this trouble and causing Melanie to get hurt as collateral damage.Regardless of the rumors, the university had already contacted the authorities.The police arrived promptly, initiating an investigation.Meanwhile, Melanie was rushed for treatment. The wound on her forehead required five stitches but wasn't too deep. Despite the scar on her temple, it would be mostly concealed by her hair.Soon, Melanie regained consciousness. Grasping Jade's hand, she kept murmuring, "My drafts, my drafts."Understanding her worry, Jade quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Melanie. I’ve placed all your drafts on the table. They're safe.""Jade, could you bring them to me? They're everything
Jade realized the gravity of the situation—if the drafts leaked, Melanie’s sleepless days and nights would be in vain. With this on her mind, she hurried out and found the dean, Jeremiah."Mr. Lowe, I need to ask you something," Jade said, her usually calm demeanor replaced by frantic urgency. Even in the face of disaster, Jade typically remained composed, but today, her eyes were wild with panic, her voice trembling."Jade, take your time and tell me what's wrong," Jeremiah said, his heart pounding with anticipation of some catastrophic revelation.Jade took a deep breath, her expression turning grave. "I need to know if anyone has entered my dorm room and taken anything from it. It’s crucial to me."Jeremiah sighed in relief. From his perspective, what could a student possibly have that was so important? He answered lightly, "No one has been in there except the police for the investigation."In truth, he was hiding some details. The scene had been chaotic, and before the police
200,000 dollars might not seem like much to an adult, but for a student, it’s a substantial amount. It was enough to cover university expenses, and with frugality, one could even graduate without worrying about money.Jade's offer had truly sparked everyone's motivation. Who wouldn't want that 200,000 dollars? Especially when a single clue was worth 10,000 dollars. Jeremiah was standing outside, trembling with anger and pointing at the door repeatedly. "Jade, what do you think you’re doing? If everyone acted like you, what rules would we have left?"Jade glanced at him coolly and replied, "As long as it helps Melanie retrieve her drafts, I’d offer more than 200,000 dollars. As for the rules, if I’ve indeed violated them, then let the punishment fall on me alone."With those words, she walked away with an air of confidence.While watching her retreating figure, Jeremiah's eyes widened in fury. "W-What kind of attitude is that? I'm the dean; can’t I even say a few words to her?"T
"Who would be shameless enough to steal Melanie's drafts? If I find out who did it, I'll make sure they regret it!" Jade fumed.The loss of Melanie’s design sketches felt worse than losing a limb. Jade was overwhelmed with heartache and hadn't dared to inform Melanie, fearing how she would take the news.Noticing Jade’s distress, Julian felt an unspoken heaviness in his chest. He feigned a light-hearted demeanor, patting his chest as he reassured Jade, "Don't worry. I'll find a way to get Melanie's drafts back."Jade cast a weary glance at him. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"Her words deflated Julian's confidence, leaving him unable to offer a viable solution.As Jade walked on, Julian trailed behind, shamelessly asking, "Jade, where are you heading?""To the hospital," she replied curtly.They had been back at Clotheap University long enough for Melanie to start suspecting something. Rather than let her imagination run wild, Jade decided it was better to come clean.