Chapter 484

Chapter 484:

Why did things always seem to veer off course from her carefully laid plans? Jada quickly reached for Maxine’s hand, her voice low. “Maxine…”

Before Maxine could react, Jada unexpectedly took a step back, hitting the edge of the washbasin with a loud thud. “Ah!” she yelped. Her sharp cry echoed through the hall, cutting through the silence.

Within moments, some people rushed over to see what had happened. Norton and his friends were also drawn to the commotion, and when they arrived, they found Jada seated on the floor, clutching her waist.

“What happened?” Norton asked.

“This has nothing to do with Maxine, Norton…” Jada lifted her tearful eyes toward him, and as soon as she saw him, tears began streaming down her cheeks. “I was just too careless.”

Madisyn looked worried and asked, “Jada, what are you talking about? No one even mentioned Maxine, but you brought her up. So, is she part of this or not?”

The best way to handle someone cunning was to make them explain their vague words and watch closely for how they reacted.

Jada hesitated, almost choking on her words. Under the weight of everyone’s stares, she finally spoke slowly, “Maybe Maxine was jealous, so she shoved me. I didn’t keep my balance, which is why I fell. It’s not Maxine’s fault… Ah, it hurts!”

Norton quickly moved forward, offering his hand to help Jada to her feet.

“Wesley, move!” Madisyn urged, giving Wesley a shove. It was only now that Wesley seemed to grasp the situation. He hurried over and scooped Jada up. “I’ll take you to the hospital!”

Jada had secretly wished it was Norton carrying her, but that hope vanished. Gritting through the pain, she managed to say, “I’m fine. It’s just my waist. Just help me sit down for a while, and I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?” Wesley asked, still concerned.

Jada managed to give a strained smile, insisting, “Yes, really, I’m fine.”

Wesley nodded and carried her back to her seat.

As Jada sat down, her discomfort was obvious. Wesley, feeling sorry for her, shot a glare at Maxine and snapped, “Why would you push Jada? You kept telling me to be nice to you before you arrived.”

Maxine responded flatly, “I didn’t push her. She fell on her own.”

Wesley’s face twisted in disbelief. “Who’s going to believe that? Jada would never lie.”

Wesley had always despised women who schemed and manipulated, and in his mind, Jada was nothing like them. She was in a league of her own.

Maxine narrowed her eyes and then broke into a smile. “But she is indeed lying.”

With that, Maxine pulled out her phone and played an audio clip.

The recording was of the conversation between her and Jada.

Jada’s eyes widened in shock when she recognized the voices. This sneaky girl had actually recorded their talk. Actually, when Maxine went to the restroom, she had received a message reminding her to be careful from Madisyn. Even without that message, Maxine would’ve been on high alert around Jada.

“I’m relieved to hear that. I was worried you might get the wrong idea. You know, you do resemble me a bit. Sometimes I wonder if Norton is a bit of an idiot. If he needed a replacement, he shouldn’t have picked someone so obvious… Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude.” Jada’s soft, almost fragile voice played in the recording.

The moment the recording ended, an awkward silence fell.

“I was just worried that Maxine might get the wrong idea about us, so I tried to clear things up,” Jada quickly explained, her voice shaky and her eyes welling up with tears. “You don’t think I’m trying to sow discord, right?”

Before Norton could respond, Wesley cut in, “Of course he won’t. Jada, we know exactly what kind of person you are. But you, Maxine, what’s the deal with you recording this conversation?”

Norton didn’t acknowledge Wesley’s comment; instead, he looked conflicted. “I need to ask you something.”

“Go ahead, Norton,” Jada replied, her face showing a mix of hurt and confusion.

“When did I ever say I was in love with you?” Norton asked quietly.

Jada was momentarily speechless, taken aback by the question. It was true. Norton had never outright said it, but the way he acted toward her certainly seemed to come from feelings of affection.

Jada felt the sting of tears forming. “What do you mean?”

“Just like you see Wesley as a brother, I’ve always seen you as a sister,” Norton said. “I’ve never had romantic feelings for you.”

It felt like Norton had driven a knife through Jada’s heart with those words. The truth was, she didn’t even like Norton that way. She had just kept him as a backup plan. But now, it felt like he had completely turned his back on her.

Jada’s eyes widened, but she said nothing in response. Wesley frowned and asked, “Norton, are you being serious? Did you just say that because of her?”

“Jada, do you have feelings for Wesley?” Norton asked directly.

Jada quickly answered, “Of course not. He’s like a brother to me.”

“Exactly. You never fell for Wesley. You care for him because you grew up together like family. So, what makes you think I was in love with you?” Norton continued.

Jada said nothing, sipping her water gracefully as the conversation unfolded. Tears filled her eyes, reflecting the deep crushing disappointment she felt.

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