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The Fake Heiress Turns Out to Be a True Tycoon!-Chapter 423: Be Careful, You’re Going to Have Trouble Tonight
Chapter 423: Chapter 423: Be Careful, You’re Going to Have Trouble Tonight
Scarlett Jennings narrowed her eyes the instant the other party reached out, but she didn’t make a move.
Liora Gold had already poked her head out from the floral decoration on her oversized witch’s hat the moment Nicholas Woods blocked Scarlett.
When she saw Nicholas Woods reach out, the little paperman instantly lit up with excitement.
Without hesitation, it launched itself into action, and with a single-legged flying kick, charged straight for his arm.
Scarlett watched the little paperman’s somewhat comical flying kick and even had the leisure to muse—
If the little paperman could talk, its voice right now would surely be dubbing something like: "Ah-da!"
The moment Liora Gold shot out like a tiny cannonball, just as it was about to land the kick...
A shadow suddenly darted by. Someone grabbed Nicholas Woods’ hand, forcefully deflecting the action and pushing him back while stepping in front of Scarlett Jennings.
Scarlett saw Liora suddenly miss her target, and the little paperman shot off into the distance with a whistling sound.
Regaining her composure, she glanced at the tall Western aristocratic figure with curls standing in front of her and raised an eyebrow slightly.
It was Adam Jennings.
Adam Jennings was glaring coldly at Nicholas Woods, his expression grim.
"Nicholas Woods! What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"
Adam knew Nicholas Woods. This guy had cornered him multiple times at school, pestering him for information about Azura Loomis. Now he dared to confront Scarlett Jennings right in front of him!
And just now, it looked like he was even about to put his hands on her!
Although Adam had previously held some resentment toward Scarlett Jennings, she had genuinely helped him with the blood doll incident. There was no way he would stand by and watch someone harass her.
Even if he and Scarlett had their differences, she was someone he brought here—outside of their home, he had to protect her.
Because she was a member of the Jennings Family.
Nicholas Woods looked at Adam Jennings, who had suddenly appeared, without showing any intimidation. Instead, irritation flared up in him from having just been shoved.
"Adam Jennings! Azura Loomis always treated you as a brother, saying you grew up together and trusted you deeply. Now that she’s disappeared, you’ve turned your back on her and are shielding this Johnny-come-lately!
Do you even know that Azura’s disappearance is very likely her doing?"
Adam Jennings listened to Nicholas Woods’ baseless accusations instinctively prepared to refute them.
But before he could say anything, another voice—somewhat astonished—piped up from the side,
"Azura Loomis’ disappearance... was Scarlett Jennings’ doing?"
This voice, full of cluelessness, made both Scarlett Jennings and Adam Jennings instantly know who the speaker was without bothering to turn their heads.
Even Adam, who usually got along well with Chase Jennings, found himself suddenly exasperated.
Could this pig-headed teammate please refrain from barging in at critical moments?
This second cousin used to have a shred of common sense once upon a time, didn’t he?
As Adam pondered, about to reason with him, he saw Chase Jennings striding right up to his side, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, and looking at Nicholas Woods with a serious expression.
"Do you have any evidence?"
Scarlett Jennings was now solidly shielded behind the two of them.
Nicholas Woods, observing their actions, recognized Chase and became even more convinced that what Azura Loomis had said previously was the truth.
The family that used to treat her kindly had been manipulated by Scarlett Jennings into protecting this cousin exclusively, even going so far as to cruelly kick her out of the Jennings Family.
Imagining the plight Azura Loomis must have suffered—her isolation and helplessness—Nicholas Woods became all the more determined to find her.
Because now, Azura only had him.
Nicholas considered himself a reasonable person, so when Chase Jennings posed the question, he immediately took out his phone and showed them the last message Azura sent him.
"This is the last message Azura Loomis sent me. She said she was going to find you. But after that, there was no more news. If Scarlett Jennings didn’t do something, could it have been you?"
Chase Jennings took a look at the message displayed on his phone, his expression darkening slightly.
The timestamp matched the day Azura Loomis had come looking for him.
Back then, she had almost managed to deceive him.
He’d locked her in his car, and yet she had still managed to escape.
And he had even gotten his head cracked open!
Thinking of Azura’s possible accomplice, Chase’s gaze toward Nicholas Woods grew increasingly dangerous.
Was her accomplice that day none other than this guy?!
"Thief crying thief?"
"Trying to smear the Jennings Family’s reputation?"
Chase mulled over countless possibilities and felt like he had grasped the truth, his expression growing darker.
"Azura Loomis said she was looking for me. Yet instead of suspecting me, you’re targeting her. Do you think Scarlett Jennings is easier to bully just because she’s a woman?"
"I’m not!"
Nicholas Woods naturally wouldn’t admit to bullying a girl—his family couldn’t afford that kind of disgrace.
"But Scarlett Jennings is the most suspicious!"
Chase Jennings was about to retort when Scarlett Jennings, full of impatience, pushed the two shielding her aside herself, stepped forward decisively, her finely crafted witch-makeup framed face suddenly cold, and said,
"Whether I’m suspicious or not isn’t for you to decide. If you’re so concerned about Azura Loomis, I can send you straight to the police station to file a case and have them help you find her."
She paused for a moment before adding in a slow drawl,
"That is... if you dare."
Though it hadn’t been openly announced, Azura Loomis was now a special target sought by the Security Bureau.
Coupled with her disappearance days ago, she’d remained off the radar ever since.
If Nicholas Woods were to deliver himself to authorities now, admitting to any connection with Azura Loomis after her escape, Scarlett was sure he’d be kept in the precinct overnight for questioning.
Her words seemed casual, but those last three words carried a strange unease for Nicholas Woods.
File a case? What could there be to fear?
Yet Scarlett Jennings’ tone left him feeling there’d be no good ending to filing that case.
"File it? I..."
Nicholas Woods began to speak but was promptly cut off by Adam Jennings.
"You’d better think things through carefully. Azura Loomis wasn’t removed from her school records and had her files sealed without reason. As someone involved in student council affairs, you should understand what a revoked academic status and sealed dossier signify."
The removal of Azura’s records—and the heavy implications of those sealed files—meant higher authorities had intervened.
Nicholas Woods’ family had government ties, so he sensed something fishy, but—swayed by Azura’s "cousin’s" narrative—persisted in believing it was all the Jennings Family’s doing.
Pausing to reconsider, he realized that if the Jennings Family truly wanted to cause trouble for Azura, they wouldn’t need to tamper with her files...
Nicholas Woods felt a fleeting clarity but remained stubbornly unwilling to accept it.
After all, Azura Loomis was such an innocent, wonderful girl. If the Jennings Family wasn’t behind this, who else would target her?
What wrong could she possibly have done?
"Stop trying to intimidate me."
Nicholas Woods said, though he ultimately didn’t dare keep pressing Scarlett Jennings.
"I’ll find Azura, ask her directly, and uncover the truth. You’re no better; your schemes won’t bring you good karma."
Those last words were directed at Scarlett Jennings.
Adam Jennings’ expression darkened at the remark and was about to teach the man a lesson when Nicholas Woods quickly turned and walked away.
The garden corner they were in, leading to the lounge area, was relatively secluded. Nicholas Woods strode hurriedly away and rounded the corner—almost running into a girl standing at the bend.
The girl was dressed like an elven maiden, her face partially covered by a gauzy veil.
She stood there as though she had been listening to their conversation all along.
Nicholas Woods frowned and was about to speak when the girl suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze deep and ominous. She spoke in a hoarse, unpleasant voice,
"Be careful... Something bad’s going to happen to you tonight."