Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 571

Ever since she was brought into the White family, she had been chauffeured everywhere. She had never set foot on a subway.

Experiencing the crushing tide of rush hour for the first time, she was physically shoved out the doors on multiple occasions.

Packed like a sardine in the crowded train car, Jade experienced a profoundly alien sensation. It wasn't despair or gloom, but a vibrant curiosity about the uncharted life stretching out before her.

If Brandon hadn't dragged her back to the sprawling estate, if she had simply grown up in those slums, would she have lived this ordinary, repetitive, seemingly mechanical—yet quietly peaceful—life all along?

Inside the supermarket, Jade carefully selected the most budget-friendly essentials. After a long moment of hesitation, she swiped the card Clayton had given her.

Snapping a photo of the receipt, she texted it to Clayton.

“I'll track every penny and pay you back when my paycheck clears.”

Jade fully intended to return the card the moment her first salary hit her account, covering all her expenses for the month.

Even though this amount was pocket change to a man like Clayton, she absolutely refused to owe him anything anymore.

“The house is fully stocked. Mrs. Lowell will set them out for you,” Clayton texted back. He had clearly zoomed in on the items she had purchased: toilet paper, tampons... toothbrushes, toothpaste, and intimate apparel.

Mrs. Lowell would handle all of that.

Jade froze, her ears burning scarlet. She had only meant to send him the total amount, completely forgetting that her cart was full of deeply personal items...

Frantically un-sending the image, she wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole.

She typed a response, deleted it, retyped it, and deleted it again. Finally, with her head buried in her hands, she surrendered. “I'm staying at the apartment. Sorry for bothering you.”

When a long stretch of silence followed, Jade felt a sharp pang of disappointment. Hauling the heavy bags of groceries and toiletries, she struggled toward the exit.

The second she stepped out of the automatic doors, her phone buzzed.

Clayton was entirely right. Only by remaining close to him would Brandon and the mastermind hesitate, calculating whether she could still be useful as a pawn before they silenced her.

Jade stood awkwardly on the sidewalk, dreading the thought of having to face Susanna again.

“Whatever. If I die, I die,” she muttered dismissively.

A muscle feathered in Clayton's jaw, visibly restraining his fury. His elegant fingers tightened around his silver cross, and his words were bitten off through clenched teeth. “Get in!”

Startled by the intensity in his eyes, Jade meekly loaded her groceries into the trunk and slid into the backseat.

Terrified of irritating him further, she practically plastered herself against the car door, staring out the window in absolute silence.

Clayton glanced at her in the rearview mirror more than once. Had she actually changed?