The Heiress With Seven Secret Identies (Stella Shaw) novel Chapter 412

"Stay away from her!" Amelia shouted. "Touch her, and I'll make you pay—I'll ruin your entire family!"

"I like 'em feisty," the man laughed.

Amelia grabbed a glass from the table and shattered it. Dropping low, she lunged toward the man harassing Nicole with lethal precision, driving the jagged edge into his groin.

The man let out a blood-curdling shriek that echoed through the room. "You bitch! I'm going to kill you!"

"Leave her alone!" Nicole cried. She grabbed a shard of broken glass and, squeezing her eyes shut in terror, swung it at the back of the man's neck.

Just then, the door slammed open.

"I'm gonna kill you!" the drunk roared again.

"Nicole!" Jasper screamed. He sprinted across the room and sent the man flying with a brutal kick.

"You lay a hand on what's mine?" Jaron growled. He seized the man wrestling with Amelia by the collar, dragging him across the floor before slamming him violently against the wall.

Jasper hauled the other man up and threw him out of the suite. "Watch them!" he barked at the staff outside, his usually gentle face twisted with cold fury.

He rushed back to Nicole. She was trembling uncontrollably, still clutching the blood-stained glass shard. The sight of it tore at Jasper's heart.

Because of her weak constitution, Nicole had never been able to handle the intense physical training the rest of them went through. She was the most vulnerable among them, even if she outshone them all academically. The three of them had always made a silent pact to protect her—to keep her far away from this kind of violence.

"Nicole, it's me." Jasper reached out, carefully taking hold of the bloody shard. "Honey, give this to me. It's okay."

The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over.

"Don't be scared. It's over, you're safe now," he whispered, pulling her into a tight embrace. His heart ached with physical pain.

How could I let this happen to her? Damn it, Jasper, you failed her.

Jaron and Amelia watched the scene unfold, their hearts aching for her.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Jaron asked, instinctively reaching out to take Amelia's blood-stained hand.

"Jaron," Amelia murmured, quickly pulling her hand back. "I'm fine."

Tiffany threw herself into Jaron's arms, sobbing hysterically. "I'm so glad you're okay! I was so scared!" she cried, but Jaron's eyes never left Amelia.

"Jasper, get Nicole home first," Amelia said, her voice heavy with guilt. She couldn't shake the feeling that if she hadn't come downstairs, Nicole never would have been in danger.

"Right," Jasper replied, lifting Nicole into his arms.

"Amelia!" Nicole called out, her voice trembling. "Come back with me."

Amelia squeezed her hand and took a deep breath, trying to sound as lighthearted as possible. "I'm okay, really. You go on with Jasper."

She knew there was a mess to clean up, and as a witness, she needed to stay behind. Besides, Nicole was far too fragile for the fallout; Amelia didn't want her seeing the thugs again or being scared any further.

"I'm here," Jaron added. "I promise I'll get Amelia home personally."

Amelia patted Nicole's hand reassuringly. "I've already called the Cross family security. Don't worry about me."

"I'll stay right outside the door," he promised. "I'm here for you."

"Okay."

Nicole started to reach for her clothes, but paused when she realized he was still watching her.

"Sorry," Jasper said, quickly turning around. "I'm not looking. I'll be right outside—just call me if you need anything."

"I will," she whispered.

He'd never realized his hearing was this sharp before. Every sound was amplified—the soft rustle of clothes hitting the floor, the splash of the water—it all came through with agonizing clarity.

Jasper's throat went dry. He took a sharp breath to steady himself. "Nicole, I'm going to go grab you some clothes."

He practically bolted from the room, his skin flushing with heat.

"Okay," she called back softly.

Since he'd only just moved in, the custom wardrobe he'd ordered for her hadn't arrived yet. After a moment's thought, Jasper grabbed one of his own white button-downs and a pair of trousers, then made a quick call to have a set of women's clothes delivered immediately.

Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the house and the lights killed over. The entire villa plunged into darkness.

"Nicole!"

Jasper pushed the door open, only to have a damp, shivering Nicole collide straight into his chest.