Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

55 vouchers

Alicia and Jason’s figures disappeared from view, and Nicolas couldn’t hold back anymore. He quickened his pace and followed them inside.

Maxwell saw this and turned to Nicole. “We should go check it out too,” he said, and he hurried after Nicolas.

Nicole stood there for a moment.

Since both men had their backs to her, her smile vanished completely.

She’d assumed Alicia was meeting Darren for dinner, but it turned out to be Jason instead, and he’d even come out personally to pick her up.

It had been a while since she’d seen him, but Jason was still as devastatingly handsome as ever. He carried himself with a quiet, restrained masculinity that drew attention without effort.

It was such a shame that someone so young had been confined to a wheelchair after that car accident.

Still, since her target was Nicolas, she supposed it wasn’t so bad that Jason would be stuck in that wheelchair for life. At least no other woman could have him.

She followed after them, too. She wanted to see if Nicolas and Alicia would start fighting right there in public.

Nicolas and Jason had been at odds since their school days, and after what happened with Kevin, they’d become outright

enemies.

Now Alicia was seeing Jason behind Nicolas’ back, so he was definitely going to lose it.

Her only concern was that Alicia might be using Jason to play hard to get with Nicolas. ‘She’s probably trying to make him jealous,’ Nicole thought. ‘Using Jason as bait to draw Nicolas back in.’

But she definitely wouldn’t let that plan succeed.

Alicia had barely pushed Jason a few steps when someone grabbed her arm from behind. She turned around and frowned at Nicolas. “Let go.”

Nicolas’ face was dark. “No. I want an explanation.”

Alicia raised an eyebrow. “Explanation for what?”

Nicolas glanced at Jason, who sat in the wheelchair looking completely unbothered, then turned back to her. “Why are you with him?”

Alicia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “How is that any of your business?”

Nicolas stared at her. “Are you trying to make me jealous? Is that why you’re deliberately going out to dinner alone with him?”

Alicia rolled her eyes at him. “Who do you think you are? You’re just like your buddy. If you’re sick, go to the hospital and get treatment. Don’t come looking for me to act crazy.”

She yanked her arm free of Nicolas’ grip and pushed Jason’s wheelchair forward again.

1/4

2:46 pm G P P P

Chapter 46

55 vouchers

But Nicolas wouldn’t let it go. This time, he looked directly at Jason, his face stormy. “What’s your real agenda getting close to her? Whatever issues you have with my brother and me, there’s no need to drag my fiancée into it.”

He was convinced that Jason had bad intentions toward Alicia.

Jason ignored him and tilted his head up to look at Alicia instead. “He’s your fiancé?”

Alicia laughed like she’d just heard the funniest joke in the world. “Don’t know him, not close, no idea where this psycho came from.”

The Moore and Hammond families had always assumed they were a couple and had plans for them to marry eventually.

But they’d never actually been engaged, and no marriage arrangement had ever been officially established or announced publicly.

So this whole “fiancée” thing was complete bullshit.

Only then did Jason turn his attention to Nicolas.

He smiled slightly. “Did you hear that? My friend doesn’t know you and isn’t close to you, so do us a favor and stop blocking the way.”

In Nicolas’ eyes, Jason was deliberately trying to drive a wedge between him and Alicia. “You sneaky bastard, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” he snapped. “What kind of man hides behind a woman?”

He even reached out to grab Jason by the collar, but before his hand could make contact, Alicia slapped it away hard.

The force of her slap left his hand stinging and red.

Nicolas stared at her in disbelief. “You hit me? For him?”

Alicia shot him an irritated look. “Can you stop being so unreasonable?”

Nicolas pointed at himself. “I’m being unreasonable?”

“That bastard provoked me first,’ he thought.

Alicia looked at him like the answer was obvious. “Yes, you’re in the wrong. He’s in a wheelchair and you were about to put your hands on him. That’s crude and disrespectful. Can’t you act like the gentleman you’re supposed to be?”

She gave him a warning look and added firmly, “Jason is my friend now. If you try to lay a hand on him again, don’t blame me for what happens next.”

Nicolas’ eyes widened with disbelief. “You’re not just hitting me and yelling at me for him, but you’re threatening me too?”

His face paled, and he looked at her like she’d betrayed him. “And since when are you two even friends?”

Alicia saw the shock and hurt on his face, and she felt a surge of satisfaction.

‘See?’ she thought. “These hypocrites never understand how it feels until they’re the ones getting hurt.

Nicolas couldn’t stand Jason, and now he couldn’t even handle her being friends with the man.

But when it came to Nicole, someone Alicia couldn’t stand, he expected her to be understanding and accommodating He wanted them to be like loving sisters.

2/4

Chapter 46

55 vouchers

Alicia deliberately said, “Why can’t Jason and I be friends? You’re the one being petty here. So what if you two didn’t get along in middle school? It’s not that big of a deal. Why hold a grudge for so long?

“Jason is amazing, and being friends with him is the smart choice.” She added meaningfully. “I think you should let go of your prejudice and make peace with him. You could reach out first and turn this rivalry into a friendship.”

Nicolas’ expression changed. “Impossible.”

His voice got louder. “There’s no way I’m making peace with that snake. And right now, he’s the one starting trouble, going after me and Kevin on purpose.”

He looked at Alicia with rare hurt in his eyes. “What’s wrong with you?”

‘How can she say things like this when she knows I hate Jason the most?’ he thought. ‘We’re supposed to be on the same side.’

Alicia let out a mocking laugh. “Wow, you guys are such hypocrites. I’ve said I hate Nicole too, remember? But you all kept pushing me to be best friends with her anyway. Why is it such a problem when it’s about you? Can’t handle your own medicine?”

She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You look so pathetic right now, throwing a tantrum like this. It’s honestly annoying to watch. Jason has way more class than you. Maybe you should learn from him.”

She gave him a look that said, “Stop embarrassing yourself, and added, “If you want to keep any dignity, move out of my way.”

“They used to tell me to learn from Nicole, to be sweet and accommodating like her, she thought with satisfaction. ‘Well, how do they like it now?’

Nicolas’ face froze. He clearly hadn’t expected her to say something like that.

Alicia felt satisfied and looked down at Jason. “Don’t waste your time on that hypocritical jerk. Let’s go eat.”

Jason’s eyes lit up with amusement, and he smiled. “Sounds good. Let’s go.”

He had to admit, having Alicia stand up for him felt pretty damn nice.

As for how awful Nicolas felt right now, that wasn’t his problem.

He felt good.

Alicia didn’t even glance at Nicolas and pushed Jason away.

Nicolas stood there, his eyes turning red with anger. Maxwell was frozen in disbelief, and a dark shadow crossed Nicole’s face.

Alicia’s behavior was completely different from what Nicole had imagined, and she felt an unprecedented sense of irritation rising inside her.

Looking at Nicolas’ expression, she knew this meal wouldn’t be pleasant.

They were supposed to take her to dinner, but Alicia ruined everything.

Her improved mood vanished completely. “This is so annoying. Why does Alicia always have to get in the way?’ she thought.

3/4