As Gemma left, Jade sighed visibly in relief. Everyone was gone, and no one cared about her. The hotel was a considerable distance from the Severin residence. Without any money on her, she had to tread back on her high heels slowly. Staring at the seemingly endless road ahead, she couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Walking all the way back would likely ruin her feet.A glaring set of headlights approached from behind, making Jade instinctively move to the roadside. A limited-edition Bugatti came to a stop in front of her, and the window rolled down, revealing a handsome face."Get in." The man's voice was cold.Jade looked at Caelan in surprise, her gaze almost infatuated. She replied softly, "Thank you."Opening the car door, she cautiously took a seat. Her heart raced, and from the corner of her eye, she could only see Caelan's hand—a clean, slender one with a natural masculine power to it. She found it oddly comforting.As the car moved, Jade's hand accidentally brushe
Melvin was sitting aside, reading a book. When he saw Jade enter, he put on a fake smile and said warmly, "You're here. Come over quickly."Jade suppressed the sharpness in her gaze as she asked, "Do you need something, Dad?"Melvin gestured for Jade to sit and pushed the cake toward her. "This was specifically made for you by Mabel at my request. Try it. See if you like it."The cake looked tempting, but to Jade, it seemed like poison. She hid her disdain as she told Melvin, "I don't like it."Melvin was momentarily stunned. He had planned to use the cake to appease Jade, hoping she would help with the designs, but she had unexpectedly refused. He remembered that she used to like it."Jade, are you still upset about this morning?" Melvin asked cautiously, quickly catching on.Jade looked down to conceal all her emotions. Seeing her like this, Melvin sighed and said, "We are a family. If we had made a scene, it wouldn't have been good for our family's reputation. You and Neve wou
Satisfied, Melvin nodded. He knew Jade would never get smart. If he gave her a small benefit, she'd obediently comply."By the way, Grandma's birthday is in a few days. Wait until after the celebration to look for a place to move," Melvin said, making it clear this was non-negotiable.In Jade's previous life, she had lived cautiously with the Severins, staying meek and getting easily bullied by everyone. Only her grandmother, Leah Severin, had favored her a bit. However, Jade had lost this protective umbrella when Leah had broken her leg. Furthermore, with Leah aging and suffering from an illness, the authority of the entire household had shifted to Gemma after just a year. Since then, Jade's life had become even more difficult.The accident that had resulted in Leah breaking her leg had happened during her birthday celebration."Alright." Jade thought about Leah and felt a pang of pain. All her vengefulness was overshadowed by this pain.Thinking she was concerned about Gemma, Me
However, even though there were doubts in Gemma's mind, she dared not bring them up. After all, the Severin family was ruled by Leah, and as a daughter-in-law, she had to obey.During dinner, Melvin gathered everyone in the living room. On the table sat an exceptionally luxurious gift box. When the box was opened, it revealed a vintage bangle adorned with a luminous pearl—clearly, an item with some history.Neve's eyes widened, and she slyly tugged on Gemma's sleeve, saying jealously, "Dad is really willing to spend money on Grandma. He knows that Grandma likes antiques, so he bought this for her."Leah didn't fancy flashy things, but she had a particular fondness for antiques. Melvin, knowing her preference, had spent 3,000,000 dollars to acquire this antique bangle, which was rumored to have been worn by a queen. It showed how much importance he attached to Leah's birthday celebration."Grandma's birthday celebration is the day after tomorrow. This bangle is my birthday gift to her.
Gemma's face twisted in anger. How had she not noticed Jade's cunning nature before?Jade's mood became even more delightful when she saw the constipated expression on Gemma and Neve’s faces. She walked back to her room with a bounce in her step.After she left, Neve asked Gemma with a frown, "Mom, are you just going to let her off like that?""What else can I do? You saw it yourself. Your dad needs her help now, so I can't go too far," Gemma said through gritted teeth."Needs her help?" Neve's eyes widened. "What does he need her help with?"Gemma stood up and walked toward the sofa as she told Neve, "I heard that it's something related to the company. He’s having her design jewelry sketches or something."Upon hearing this news, Neve turned pale. Jade was actually helping their father design jewelry. Why hadn't she known about this? When had this happened?Jade only spent one night finishing the sketches for Melvin. However, she didn't immediately hand them over. She kept them
Leah, who was genuinely angry, started to cough. Brianna quickly handed her a cup of tea and comforted her. "Madam, please don't get angry. The doctor said you can't get worked up because of your illness. Besides, it's your birthday celebration today. Let's discuss any issues afterward."Leah sighed at the mention of her illness. As she grew older, her health issues increased. In the past, when she used to be in good health, she had been able to manage the household well. However, with age catching up to her, she had gradually become less capable.Eventually, she’d had to delegate one-third of the company's management to Gemma and Melvin. The two of them unfortunately lacked the ability to run the company, leading to signs of decline in the Severin Group within a few years, which had been making Leah anxious.Now that another scandal was happening, Leah was even more distressed."Jade's really disappointing." Leah sighed, disappointment filling her eyes. The person she had carefull
As soon as Brianna opened the box, her smile froze.Leah looked at her, feeling puzzled. When she looked inside the box, her face fell abruptly as well."This is the gift you prepared for me?" Leah asked Melvin angrily.Melvin took a peek, and beads of sweat dotted his forehead. The box was empty, and the ancient bangle was nowhere to be seen."What's going on?" Melvin shouted at Gemma angrily.Gemma feigned panic and said, "I really don't know. Jade was in charge of the box."As soon as she spoke, everyone's gazes shifted back to Jade.Neve frowned and pretended to defend Jade. "Jade, don't mess with Grandma. Come on, show us the bangle."Jade calmly surveyed the crowd. Gemma was sipping her tea nervously. Seated beside Gemma, Neve had a smug expression on her face. Now, Leah's gaze on her was tinged with disappointment. Neve's words seemed to confirm that the bangle had been in Jade’s hands, so she was now unable to deny it. Even if she managed to bring the bangle back out, she wou
It was too late! Everyone had heard it.Melvin, who was both pale and flustered, looked at Gemma as if she were an idiot. Finally, he exploded in a rage and slapped her loudly. "Shut up, you wretch!"Gemma screamed, falling to the floor due to the force of Melvin's slap. Melvin was about to strike again, but Neve rushed over to shield her, pleading with him. "Dad, please don't hit Mom again. She knows she was wrong.""Gemma, you have some nerve." Leah was furious. Her face was livid as she glared at Gemma, and her eyes were flashing with authority.Gemma lost all her momentum and hurriedly apologized. "Mom, calm down. It's my fault. I won't dare do it again. It was a moment of confusion. Please forgive me this once.""I can see that you’ve been increasingly disregarding me over the years." Leah remained angry and kept looking sternly at Gemma. "Since you are so biased against me, just don't go to the company anymore. Vacate your position and let someone capable take over."As soo