?Chapter 1470:


    Jessica’s fingers twitched at her side. She wasn’t ashamed of her past. Nothing they brought up could shake her. But if Melvin heard it? Knowing him, he’d overthink everything, probably me himself, or worse—feel guilty for things that weren’t his fault.


    “What’s wrong?” Melvin asked softly, brushing his knuckles against her wrist.


    “Nothing important,” Jessica answered lightly. Then she nced at him. “Do you want to go?”


    It was his call now. If he wanted to leave, she would follow. If he stayed, she’d face whatever came next with her chin up.


    Melvin studied the group with that cool, unreadable gaze of his, then answered with a single word. “Yes.”


    The girls practically lit up with satisfaction.


    Once they were both in the car, Jessica bit her lip and peeked sideways at him. “Why’d you say yes?”


    “People like that don’t take no for an answer. Better to get it over with now,” Melvin replied simply, his voice calm and steady. “Besides, I’m not about to let them hassle you any more than they already have.”


    Jessica pressed her lips together, a flicker of doubt crossing her features.


    Melvin kept his attention on the road, but his voice turned gentle. “Jessica.”


    Jessica answered in a quiet tone, “What is it?”


    “I’m not here to dig up your past.” Melvin kept his words steady and kind. “But if you’ve gone through pain or have old wounds, I hope you’ll let me know. I want to be someone you can always count on.”<fn14fe> N?w ?ovel chapt?rs are published on f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn14fe>


    He would step in front of any trouble, look after her, and make sure nothing could harm her. For as long as she reached for him, he would never leave her side. Any time she faltered, he would be the first to reach out and catch her.


    “I’m fine, really.” Jessica offered a faint smile. She hade to terms with her past by now. “Just don’t let your guard downter. I’ve got a feeling they’ll try something.”


    “Let them try.” Melvin brushed off her worry with a shrug.


    Years spent navigating business deals had trained him to spot schemes in a heartbeat. Whatever they had nned, he was more than ready.


    “Maybe we should skip it.” Jessica nced at the line of cars ahead, letting out a soft sigh. “There’s nothing to gain but emptiness.”


    “It’s dull for us, sure, but for them, it’s all about the spectacle,” Melvin replied, calm and unbothered. “Unless we finally put a stop to it, you’ll keep being the target of their jokes.”


    Jessica started to say something but quickly changed her mind. After a moment of reflection, she kept quiet.


    She knew he was right.


    If they chose not to show up, those women would just cook up fresh drama anyway. She knew she couldn’t avoid them forever, not with her ns to stay in the country for good.


    “If they tried flirting with you tonight, would you even feel tempted?” Jessica asked on a whim.


    “Do you think I have such bad taste?” Melvin answered without missing a beat.


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