The Heiress With Seven Secret Identies (Stella Shaw) novel Chapter 445

"I can carry those for you, Ms. Shaw," Grant offered.

"No thanks," Nicole replied, already reaching into one of the bags. "I'm going to eat them right now."

She was already halfway through a pack of crackers by the time the car door closed.

When Nicole arrived back at the Shaw estate that afternoon, she shared some of the snacks with Frederick and the others before bolting to her room. She locked the door and opened the notebook. Though the German was scrawled messily across the page, she understood every word.

[Nicole, make sure you're eating well, sleeping enough, and staying focused on school. Don't worry about me; I'm doing fine. Please don't argue with your father or Bruce—I truly believe they only want what's best for you.]

[Leave everything to me. Just wait a little longer; we will find our way back to each other.]

[I love you even more today than I did yesterday.]

[Be happy every day, and remember to think of me before you go to sleep.]

[—Yours forever, Jasper.]

Nicole's eyes welled up as she tore the page out and pressed it against her heart.

Jasper, I'll fight for us, too.

"Nicole? Are you back?" Bruce's voice called from the hallway.

Startled, Nicole scrambled into the bathroom. With a lingering look of longing, she tore the note into tiny pieces, dropped them into the toilet, and flushed them away.

"Coming, Bruce!" she called out.

She greeted him with a smile, though she couldn't quite shake the pang of guilt.

"Look what I have for you," Bruce said.

She blinked, a curious smile tugging at her lips. "What is it?"

"Custom ski gear, made just for you," Bruce explained. "When you're abroad, you can go skiing whenever you're stressed, or just go shopping. I've already bought a villa near your campus. I've arranged a driver, a maid, a chef, and security. If you need anything else, just say the word."

"Oh, Bruce..."

She threw her arms around him, the weight of her guilt growing. Bruce was incredibly busy, yet he made sure to come home early every day to be with her. Sylvie had even stopped traveling for work so she could cook Nicole's favorite meals. Even Frederick and Kenneth, who were often stuck abroad for business, managed to check in despite their own schedules.

They were doing all of this just to see her smile—to help her forget Jasper. And yet...

"Look at you, a grown woman still acting like a baby," Bruce teased.

"I'm not married, so I'm still a kid," Nicole countered, leaning her head against his shoulder.

Bruce laughed affectionately and ruffled her hair. "As long as I'm around, you can be as spoiled as you want, even when you're a hundred years old."

Nicole looked up and gave him a genuine smile.

"Better let go now, though," Bruce joked. "My wife's going to get jealous."

"What was that? Am I really that petty?" Sylvie cut in, stepping out of the kitchen brandishing a spatula and giving him a mock glare.

"Mom, the food's burning," Frederick chimed in from the sidelines.

Abroad? She was leaving. For how long? If they were apart for that long, would she still love him?

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