Chapter 23
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Jessica had barely managed to drag herself through the 3–mile run, and an hour later, she finally returned. As soon as she got back, she was hit with two shocking pieces of news.
First, Nina had somehow convinced Clifford to tie her shoelaces for her.
Second, both Nina and Oliver had impressed Clifford so much that he’d selected them for additional training activities, meaning they’d be excused from the regular drills for the next six days.
Those two things had Jessica fuming.
She thought, ‘How could this be happening? How could things have turned out like this? I’ve racked my brain, tried every trick in the book, and still can’t even get a glimpse of Clifford, let alone talk to him or become his friend.
“But Nina just goes for a run, and Clifford is all over her–tying her shoes and letting her join special training with Oliver? If I’d known that was all it took to get his attention, I would’ve strapped on eighty–eight pounds of weight.
“After all, I’ve got the Woods family blood just like she does. I refuse to believe I’m any less capable than Nina. I just need to step up my game. I’ll show her!”
But now it was too late for regrets. Jessica could only pound the wall and wrack her brain for a way to get in touch with Oliver and have him put in a good word for her with Clifford.
As for the additional training activities Clifford had mentioned, they included combat skills, shooting, weapon disassembly, bomb defusing, and more.
But Nina already knew all of that. As a member of the Special Operations Division, it was all basic training for her.
Clifford wasn’t actually planning on training her. He simply didn’t want her to be out in the sun all day, so he found a way to keep her in a cooler space. Whether it was actual training or just a chance to relax, that was up to Nina.
What Clifford hadn’t anticipated, though, was Nina’s growing connection with his nephew, Oliver.
Now that he was keeping Oliver close, Clifford felt Nina’s resentful glares practically piercing his back.
Oliver, too, felt uncomfortable. He glanced back at Nina and then quickened his pace, walking ahead with Clifford. After they’d put some distance between themselves and Nina, Oliver spoke up.
“Clifford, you don’t need to keep looking out for me. I’m fine.”
“Huh?” Clifford raised an eyebrow.
Oliver said, his tone serious, “Being Nina’s errand boy was my choice. But if you keep me around all the time, Nina’s definitely going to get upset.”
After all, at school, everyone already considered Nina a “nepotism baby,” and now, he was basically doing the same thing.
Clifford saw the sincerity in his nephew’s expression and couldn’t deny that he hadn’t really thought about looking out for him. The truth was, he just didn’t like seeing Oliver spending time with Nina.
After all, Nina’s identity was special, and she wasn’t the sharpest. If she accidentally revealed something about herself in front of Oliver, it could cause trouble.
“Oliver, what do you think of Nina?” Clifford suddenly asked.
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19:50 Sat,
Chapter 23
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Oliver hesitated, then answered honestly, “At first, I thought she was just a nepo baby. I didn’t like her much. But now… I think she’s just stubborn and doesn’t know how to handle things I feel like Nina’s not exactly who she seems. There’s something different about her.”
Clifford nodded in agreement. “Exactly. People like Nina, with complicated backgrounds, you should stay away from. It could bring trouble.”
“I understand.” Oliver, who had always looked up to Clifford, nodded obediently.
“Good,” Clifford said. “Now that we’ve got that cleared up, you can go back to your duties. After these seven days, stay away from her.”
“Got it.”
Oliver headed back to Nina, who immediately asked, “Oliver, what did you and Clifford talk about?”
Oliver smirked, his tone haughty. “What I talked to Clifford about is none of your business.”
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Nina immediately pouted, annoyed. “Oliver! I’m your boss now, and you’re talking to me like that? Is that how you treat your boss?”
Oliver tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Boss? Does being an errand boy mean I have to report every little thing to you? Do you want to know how many meals I eat a day, too?”
“Well, no…” Nina pouted again. “I’m just curious what you two talked about.”
Clifford used to be so open with her, but now he was whispering secrets to Oliver? Nina wasn’t happy about it.
Oliver saw Nina’s mood darken and thought for a moment. “It wasn’t anything important. We just talked about some family stuff. Things that aren’t for public knowledge. You’ve got your secrets, too, don’t you?”
“Hmmm…” Nina thought about it. She realized that she hadn’t been completely open with Oliver either, but she expected him to share his secrets. That wasn’t fair.
After a moment, Nina sighed. “Fine, if you don’t want to talk, I’ll drop it.”
Oliver was surprised when Nina finally stopped pestering him. He raised an eyebrow, thinking, “This girl’s not so bad. Once you reason with her, she won’t keep making unreasonable demands. Maybe she’s not as bad as I thought.’
But then…
Oliver
was about
to lose his mind from Nina’s endless demands.
“Oliver, I want some lobster. Peel it for me.”
“Oliver, I want some
meatballs. Pick them u
up
for me.”
“Oliver, this pork chop is too fatty. Cut off the fat for me…”
“Oliver, I’m parched. Get me some coffee.”
“Oliver…”
“Oliver…”
“Oliver…”
With a loud thünk, Oliver slammed a chilled bottle of soda in front of Nina.
19:56 Sat, Nov 30
Chapter 23
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The usually composed and well–mannered young master of the Snee family was now glaring, his eyes bloodshot, teeth grinding, and his words coming out slowly, almost between clenched teeth: “Princess, is there anything else you need?”
Nina could practically feel the steam coming from Oliver.
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With her bright, innocent eyes blinking, she looked pure and unbothered, then casually added, “Oliver, the soda doesn’t have a straw. Can you get me one?”
Oliver nearly choked. He was one breath away from having a meltdown.
He gritted his teeth and growled, “Can’t you drink it without a straw?”
Nina stood there, hands on her hips, and declared, “It’s all about the ritual, okay? I need a straw! And as my errand boy, you’re going to get it for me, stat!”
“No!” Oliver snapped, his patience finally breaking. “If you want a straw, go get it yourself!”
“How can you be like this?” Nina’s eyes widened in outrage. “You promised to be my errand boy for seven days, and now, not even the first day is over, and you’re already protesting? Is this what an errand boy does?”
Oliver couldn’t help but laugh at Nina’s puffed–up cheeks. For some reason, it was amusing to him.
He bent down, grinning, and looked Nina straight in the eyes. “You’re right. Errand boys come in all types. I’m the kind who doesn’t listen, the ‘unqualified‘ kind. For the next few days, I’ll do what I want. If you don’t like it, then you can find yourself another errand boy.”
Nina was stunned by his words.
“This guy’s actually starting to slack off! Is this how people act outside? Are they all this shameless? Society’s gone downhill! People just don’t have any integrity anymore!”
