bChapter /bb332 /b

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    b34 /b

    55 vouchers

    “I didn’t argue with her, damn it!” Jaden kicked a stone by the roadside. “Damn it! Howe I never noticed before how well Natalie can act? If it weren’t for her, Josie wouldn’t hate me so much!”

    “That’s enough!” Vincent Oldham shoved him hard. “Look at yourself right now! Aplete, out–of–control lunatic! You say she made Josie hate you.

    “But have you ever thought about how you treated Josie before she even joined the team? Just based on what you did to Josie back then, even if Natalie did nothing, Josie could never forgive you!

    “And now, we are the team. Yet you vent all your anger on Natalie because of something someone else said. How is that any different from what you did to Josie?

    “Your actions will only make our team aughingstock, further divide our team, and leave uspletely defeated by Josie.”

    Jaden had never been yelled at like this by Vincent before. He looked at Vincent, stunned.

    Was it because of his own ipetence that even Vincent dared to shout at him now?

    His father looked down on him, ready to use the belt at the slightest provocation. Now, even Vincent, whose family background was inferior to his, looked down on him for being less capable and was shouting at him!

    In a fleeting moment of defeat, Jaden suddenly felt really down.

    He said, “How could things get any worse? The project is gone. Kyle is arrested. Aiden has returned to his family. Gavin stayed at the research institute. bIt’s /bjust you, me, and Natalie. Do you really think David can still make us seed?

    “Don’t be silly. He’s already started recruiting new people. He won’t care about us anymore. If you want to stay in the team and keep protecting Natalie, that’s your business. I’m done!”

    Jaden turned to leave and was grabbed by Vincent.

    Vincent said, “Jaden, Natalie is not that bad. She’s a bit willful; she was jealous of Josie, but that’s all human nature. Think about what she’s done for us since joining the team.

    “My grad school prep materials, your thesis drafts–didn’t she help organize them? Plus, her mother is the Vice Dean of the research institute. We really shouldn’t fall out with her.

    “Listen to me, control your temper. We’re still a team. Believe me, Natalie will help us. With her here, Professor Lawson won’t truly abandon us!”

    Jadenughed scornfully and shook off Vincent’s hand. “You want to grovel to her without any backbone? That’s your choice. I won’t. I’m going back to the Monroe family. Stay as you want!”

    Watching Jaden’s resolute retreating figure, Vincent felt bitter. Yeah, staying in this shitty team felt really pointless now. But what could he do?

    Jaden and Aiden had fallback options. People like him and Kyle had to w their way up desperately, or else

    b19:54 /bbMon/bb, /bbSep /bb15 /b

    return to their former living conditions, mingling with the lowest rungs of society.

    b34 /b

    55 vouchers

    No, absolutely not. This wasn’t the result he had studied desperately and worked step by step to achieve.

    He couldn’t go back to where he came from. He had to stay in Aloville. He must stay. He had to change his social ss, be one of the upper ss.

    Behind him, Gavin dispersed the onlookers and pulled the sobbing Natalie aside.

    “Alright, everyone’s gone. You can stop pretending,” Gavin said irritably, though he bstill /bpulled out a btissue /band handed it to her.

    Natalie’s tears stopped instantly. She snatched the tissue and dabbed her eyes. “What, are you like Jaden now, thinking Josie’s betrayal was because of me?”

    Gavin shook his head. “I’m not as stupid as he is. I know perfectly well that even without youb, /bour rtionship with Josie would have fallen apart eventually.”

    Natalie’s eyes were full of cold mockery.

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