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.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify