The Heiress With Seven Secret Identies (Stella Shaw) novel Chapter 440

"Nicole, are you busy right now?"

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I just... I need a shoulder to lean on for a bit."

He was running on empty; he hadn't slept a wink the night before.

Nicole nodded gently. "You look exhausted. I'm taking you home so you can sleep."

"Okay," he breathed.

Nicole started the engine and glanced over at Jasper. He was watching her intently, his eyes so full of tenderness they looked ready to spill over.

"Try to get some sleep," Nicole said.

"Alright. Drive carefully."

She nodded and pulled away. By the time they reached his villa, Jasper had already drifted off. Nicole looked at him, her heart aching. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that her family wanted to send her abroad, let alone suggest they break up. She couldn't stand the thought of being apart from him, and the inner conflict left her feeling lost.

She reached out tentatively, her fingers tracing the handsome lines of his face.

"Jasper," she whispered. "Will I still be able to marry you as we planned? Or are we destined to—" She looked down, unable to finish the sentence.

"Yes," Jasper said, his eyes snapping open. He looked at her with unwavering conviction. "Nicole will marry Jasper exactly as planned, and Jasper will marry Nicole—the only woman he will ever love."

Nicole's eyes welled with tears. He gently cupped her face, his gaze full of devotion, and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Can we talk?" he asked softly.

"Okay."

He led her into the villa. "Are you hungry? Do you want to eat something first?"

"No, I'm fine."

They sat side-by-side on the sofa, and Jasper leaned his head against her shoulder. "Nicole, just give me a little more time."

"I will."

A small smile played on his lips at her answer. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

"No, it's real."

"Can you prove it?"

Nicole looked at him, confused. "How?"

"Bite me."

He bit his lip, staring at her expectantly. Though she didn't quite get it, Nicole decided to humor him. She took his hand and gave his index finger a light nip, then tilted her head back to look at him with innocent, soulful eyes. "Are you awake now?"

A jolt like electricity shot through Jasper, and his breath hitched.

Show me? As if I don't know how to bite someone.

Clearly, she still had a lot to learn.

Jasper looked at her, baffled by the question. "Of course. I'm your fiancé, Nicole. I have no intention of leaving you—not now, not ever. And I'm a perfectly healthy man; there's no reason for us to be celibate. So don't hesitate. Come here."

Nicole reached up, covered his eyes with her hand, and took his breath away. She was rarely the aggressor when they were together, but her rare moments of initiative were so striking that they left Jasper breathless every single time.

Eventually, Jasper pulled back, breathing heavily. He couldn't resist a bit of teasing. "What's wrong? Forget the next step in the manual?"

Nicole felt her face go crimson. "That was your compensation, Jasper."

"Compensation?" Jasper's expression shifted to one of confusion. "If you're thinking about a breakup, forget it. I don't care what happened—I'm not agreeing to it."

"It's not about a breakup," Nicole clarified. "It's about this."

She pulled up a file on her phone and handed it to him. Jasper scanned the document, his eyes widening in shock.

"Nicole, you're incredible," he said, stunned. "My father is going to lose his mind. He poured everything into this smart home project, and you somehow managed to snag the exclusive agency rights?"

He cupped her face, beaming with pride. He peppered her face with kisses—her forehead, her cheeks, her lips, her ears. "That's amazing, Nicole. Well done."

"You... you aren't angry?" she asked tentatively.

"He had it coming," Jasper replied bluntly. If Felix could hear him now, he'd likely have a stroke. "How did you pull it off?"

She gave him a proud little smirk. "I'm the 'Stock Prodigy' of Azure Peak University. My connections and my skills aren't just for show, you know."

"But the Shaw Group doesn't even have a presence in that industry," Jasper noted.