The Heiress With Seven Secret Identies (Stella Shaw) novel Chapter 420

Amelia squeezed her arm, smiling. "The same goes for you. Don't you dare let anyone push you around either."

"What are you two whispering about?" Jaron asked, jogging to catch up with them.

"Jaron, keep your girlfriend in check," Amelia warned. "If she tries to frame Nicole again, I'm not going to be nice about it."

"It's just a misunderstanding," Jaron insisted. "She's just head over heels, you know? She only has eyes for me, so she doesn't always think things through."

Nicole and Amelia shared a simultaneous, exasperated eye-roll.

"What? What does that look mean?" Jaron asked. As they walked away, he turned to Jasper with a frown. "Jasper, what is with those two?"

"Come on," Jasper said. "I'm buying you a clue."

"I don't need anything bought for me," Jaron grumbled.

"Trust me," Jasper said. "You do."

Jaron let out a frustrated laugh. "Hey! You three, get back here!"

He chased after them, and by the time they reached the cafeteria, the tension from earlier had evaporated. Tiffany, however, was watching from a distance. She had been waiting for him to come apologize, and seeing him laughing and enjoying lunch nearly made her blood boil.

She couldn't let them stay a group; they had to be separated.

"Nicole, what did you mean by what you said before class?" Jaron asked during the meal.

Nicole put down her fork and looked him in the eye. "Are you sure you want to hear it?"

"Go ahead. I won't get mad."

"I'm not trying to start drama," Nicole said. "But based on what I've seen of Tiffany lately, she's intentionally trying to drive a wedge between the four of us. She's trying to push Amelia out and take her place."

Jaron's smile faded into a deep frown.

Thud!

"Someone fainted!"

"It's Tiffany!"

"Help! Someone, help us!"

Jaron looked over and immediately recognized her. He rushed to her side, scooped her up, and sprinted out of the cafeteria.

"Fainted? Really?" Nicole muttered, shaking her head. "Talk about perfect timing."

"Don't worry about them, Nicole," Amelia said. She watched Jaron's retreating back, a bitter smile playing on her lips.

Was this what love looked like? To a lover, even the most obvious flaws were invisible.

"I honestly think Jaron is getting dumber," Jasper said with a sigh. "It's so transparent—how can he not see it? If he keeps this up, I'm genuinely worried he'll get fleeced the moment he takes over the Wellington Group."

Jasper felt completely helpless. He had tried explaining Tiffany's little games to Jaron before, but it never seemed to sink in. If anything, pushing the issue just made Jaron feel like they didn't respect his relationship.

"Amelia, do you think he's been brainwashed or something?" Nicole asked.

Amelia gave a weary laugh. "Maybe it's just the 'true love' goggles. Besides, she's his girlfriend. If he's happy putting up with her drama, that's on him."

"You're right. Let's just drop it," Nicole said. "Maybe this is exactly his type, and I'm just being the jerk here."

"It's okay if you don't," she added quickly.

Seeing the disappointment etched on her face only deepened his guilt. Yet, he couldn't forget how upset Nicole had been that morning.

She definitely wouldn't want Tiffany at the engagement party. If an argument broke out and ruined Nicole and Jasper's big day, it would be his fault.

"Get some rest," Jaron said. "I'll make sure to spend plenty of time with you over the next few weeks."

"Okay," Tiffany whispered, a faint smile playing on her lips as she drifted back to sleep.

Jaron kept his word. For the next two weeks, they were inseparable—until his father began targeting the Collins family.

Jaron rushed home, confronting his father in a fit of rage. "Dad, the move against the Collins family—was that you?"

Nathaniel gave him a cool, detached look. "Go change your clothes. Do you have any idea what day it is?"

Jaron yanked at his collar, his irritation boiling over. He ground his teeth, his voice thick with anger. "So you chose today on purpose, didn't you?"

"I gave you time to handle things," Nathaniel said, focusing on his tie without sparing his son a glance. "You failed. Don't blame me."

"Why does my life have to follow a script you wrote for me?" Jaron demanded.

"It just does."

"Stop the pressure on the Collins family," Jaron ordered.

Nathaniel merely offered a thin smile, unfazed by the threat. "Change your clothes. We're going to the Shaws'."