The Heiress With Seven Secret Identies (Stella Shaw) novel Chapter 447

"Nicole, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too."

For weeks, they had been forced to watch one another from a distance, unable to get close. They used to be inseparable; now, even a moment together felt like a stolen luxury.

"Nicole, you're leaving the country."

"Yeah," she whispered, her grip on him tightening. "Jasper, I'm sorry."

"You never have to apologize to me."

The Moore family was responsible for this mess, not her. He ran a hand through her hair, his eyes full of devotion as he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead.

"Nicole... will you forget me?"

"Never."

Jasper felt a sting in his nose at her resolve.

"You're etched into my very soul, Jasper," she said softly. "How could I forget? It's just... neither of us belongs only to ourselves anymore."

Before she could finish, Jasper silenced her with a kiss, catching the rest of her words in her throat.

"Nicole, no matter what happens in the future," he said, pulling back slightly, "I only ask that you think of me whenever you look up at the moon. That's enough."

"And what about you?" she asked.

"What about me?"

"Will you forget me?"

Jasper gave her cheek a playful, gentle squeeze. "Don't talk nonsense. Jasper will never forget Nicole. Not ever."

"What if... what if we—"

He placed a hand over her mouth, the love in his eyes no longer restrained. "If Nicole can't be Jasper's wife, then Jasper will become Nicole's guardian."

The sheer longing and restraint in his gaze were heartbreaking.

"My life will be spent watching over you from afar, supporting you in silence, and helping you from the shadows. And you, Nicole—you only have one job. You have to be happy. Be so happy it hurts."

"The group is looping back," Nicole said urgently, though she didn't want to let go. If they didn't get back in line soon, the bodyguards would definitely notice.

Jasper caught her for one last deep, breathless kiss.

"Jasper, I'll be in Valoria," she whispered. "I'll be waiting for you to come and marry me."

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and sprinted back into the formation. Amelia breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her friend return.

"Those bodyguards of yours have eyes like hawks," Amelia whispered. "They nearly saw you." Fortunately, they had planned ahead and insisted the guards keep their distance.

"Amelia, thank you."

Amelia only looked at her with a sympathetic, aching heart.

Jasper stopped running. When his bodyguards finally spotted him, they looked visibly relieved.

"Mr. Moore, what are you doing over here?" one asked.

Would their star ever truly come?

"I know," Vivian said simply.

Jasper looked at her, surprised.

"I've already made arrangements for you in Montavia," she explained. "Go there and build your own career. But son... Nicole isn't in Valoria. And the Shaws don't want the two of you together anymore. This path is going to be incredibly difficult. Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Mom, I don't know what the future holds for Nicole and me," Jasper said. "But I'm going to give it everything I have, even if it costs me my life."

If they truly couldn't be together in the end, it would only be because Nicole had found her own happiness—because someone who loved her even more than he did had appeared. Someone who could make her happy without dragging her through a toxic mess.

His Nicole deserved to be a princess, adored by the world.

But the mere thought of them being apart felt like his heart was bleeding out.

"Jasper."

Felix's voice boomed from the other side of the door. Jasper felt a surge of irritation, waiting a long beat before he finally swung the door open.

"What is it?" Jasper asked coldly.

"The engagement is next Saturday."

Jasper stared at him in disbelief.

"Don't even think about running," Felix warned. "You won't get far. And even if you did manage to slip away, I'd find Nicole. She's either in Azure Peak City or heading abroad for school, isn't she?"

"You're pathetic," Jasper spat.