?Chapter 1476:


    N was still stunned. “Wait a second!”


    “Is there something you didn’t understand?” Melvin asked without missing a beat.


    “What did you mean by that?” N’s voice was shaky, like she needed confirmation.


    “Jessica was the light and warmth of my youth,” Melvin said, calm as ever. “She’s the one I’d protect with my life. If any of you dare hurt her again, I won’t stay quiet.”<fn5014> ?????? ???? find·novel</fn5014>


    And with that, he walked out, still holding Jessica’s hand.


    The air in the room felt heavy and still.


    Anyone who had nned to stir up trouble immediately backed off. They all understood the weight of those words. Melvin loved Jessica deeply.


    “Was he actually being serious?” Bianca asked, looking between Rena and N, clearly shaken.


    “He was,” N replied quietly, her eyes dim with something unreadable. “I’ve seen that kind of look and tone before. It was obvious—Jessica had been someone special to Melvin all along.”


    That kind of gaze, that kind of protection… N had once known it too.


    “Are you okay, N?” Bianca and Rena nced over, concern etched on their faces.


    “Why are you all staring at me like that? I’ve already moved on,” N answered with a light smile, though her eyes gave her away. That chapter was over.


    Neither Rena nor Bianca said anything. They had long ditched their fake boyfriends and now sat drinking in silence.


    “So what’s the n with Melvin now?” Bianca asked after a while.


    “He and Jessica are a solid match,” N said quietly, her expression unreadable. “I really do hope theyst.”


    Bianca and Rena shared a nce, then gently raised their sses and clinked them against N’s.


    N took a slow sip, tipsy enough for her words to slip. “Why couldn’t he have had Melvin’s kind of backbone?”


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    “Men like Melvin are a rare breed,” Rena murmured as she traced the rim of her ss. “Most guys throw love away the moment reality gets in the way—one second it’s forever, and the next it’s all about clout.”


    “Yeah,” Bianca added, a somber note in her voice.


    “When ites to power and status, even money takes a backseat,” N muttered, her voice thick with regret. “I should’ve known the choice he’d make.”


    “You need to find someone way better. Make him regret it,” Bianca said, trying to lift her spirits. “Let him see that losing you was his biggest mistake.”


    “Exactly!” N raised her ss and clinked it against theirs.


    Meanwhile, things on Melvin and Jessica’s end were a lot lighter.


    Jessica sat in the passenger seat, her thoughts drifting back to what Melvin had said. Curiosity sparkled in her eyes. “So… you really liked me way back then?”


    Melvin said nothing. What was he even supposed to say?


    He felt like he was being grilled on live TV—with no script to fall back on.


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