Chapter 29
“You think you’re better than Nina?”
Oliver looked Jessica up and down, clearly unconvinced.
Nina was on an entirely different level. She was beyond regular training; she’d obviously gone through some kind of special preparation. Jessica, on the other hand, was just an ordinary girl. Even if she trained for the rest of her life, she could never surpass Nina.
“What? Don’t believe me?”
Jessica raised an eyebrow at Oliver, a challenging look in her eyes. “Nina and I are both daughters of the Woods family. You really think I’m going to be worse than her?”
Oliver didn’t want to waste his time arguing about something he couldn’t verify, so he just waved her off. “Fine, whatever. You’re amazing.” “Hmph.”
Jessica could tell he was just humoring her, and it stung a little.
‘I can’t shake the feeling that Oliver is becoming rather fond of Nina. It’s absurd, of course. After all, he’s been smitten with me for ages, and Nina is nothing but a vulgar, uncouth girl. Surely he can’t find her appealing?‘ she mused.
“By the way, Oliver, you promised you’d take me to see Clifford. He’s still at the base, right? You’ve got time now, could you…”
Jessica quickly changed the subject back to Clifford.
Oliver noticed the way her eyes lit up at the mention of his name, and it made his chest tighten. His brow furrowed. “The base isn’t my place, and Clifford’s here for work. You can’t just show up whenever you feel like it.”
“Wait, you can’t just go see him whenever?”
Jessica’s voice dropped in disappointment.
“Of course not.”
“Well, okay then.”
Jessica sighed. She knew better than to push it too hard. If she made Oliver mad, who would take her to see Clifford?
Oliver watched her expression shift and felt his own frustration start to build. Every time he spent time with Jessica lately, it felt like all she talked about was Clifford.
It was getting harder to take. Seeing the girl he liked so clearly and openly pine for another man–especially his uncle–was more than he could handle. Even someone like him, who usually never let anything bother him, was starting to crack.
“You should head back. I’m going to practice shooting for a bit.”
Oliver turned to leave.
But the sun outside was blazing. Why would he be out in that heat when the cool air–conditioned room was waiting for him?
Jessica quickly caught up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “You’re going to practice shooting? Can I come watch? I bet you look amazing when you shoot.”
Oliver paused, glancing at her. Seeing the eager expression on her face, his irritation eased up a little. He raised an eyebrow. “You want to watch me practice shooting?”
“Mm–hmm, if that’s okay?”
Jessica’s eyes were wide and sincere, the kind of look that made her seem completely genuine.
Her eyes were her most striking resemblance to Emily, Nina’s mother.
Oliver felt his resolve slip as he met her gaze.
He smiled, just slightly, and then turned to walk. “Alright. Let’s go. I’ll show you.”
“Yes!” Jessica couldn’t hide her smile.
1/3
Chapter 29
Finally, she’d get to relax in the cool air again.
The morning slipped by in a blur. The instructors crawled out of the training room, looking completely drained.
Nina had originally planned to knock out them quickly and sneak away, but Captain Brown had insisted that she stay and train them for the whole morning. It had driven Nina crazy, and her methods had gotten even more brutal as time went on.
By the end of it, the soldiers were trembling at the sight of her.
In the mess hall, Nina was about to grab her lunch when she ran into Oliver and Jessica.
“Wait, Jessica, what are you doing here?” Nina asked, confused,
This was the officers‘ mess, separate from the cafeteria the students used.
Jessica, who already disliked Nina, immediately felt like the question was some sort of attempt to rub her success in her face.
So what if Nina has been lucky enough to train in the main building? Does she have to act so smug about it?‘ she wondered.
Jessica scoffed. “You’re here, so why can’t I be?”
“Well, you can’t,” Nina said bluntly. “This is the officers‘ mess. Outsiders aren’t allowed.”
“Guess what? I’m here anyway.”
Jessica snapped back, feeling bold.
She had Oliver backing her up, and behind him was Clifford. She wasn’t scared of Nina.
Just then, Damon saw Jessica and immediately called out.
“Jessica! What are you doing here?”
“Sir!”
Jessica froze, caught off guard. She had snuck in, so seeing her instructor now made her heart race.
“Hey, how’d you get in here? I told everyone to stay out of the main building. You know you could get in trouble for this, right?” Damon asked, his eyebrows drawn together.
“Exactly!” Nina added, nodding along. “Jessica just broke the rules.”
But just as Nina spoke, Damon’s face drained of color, and his eyes widened in alarm when he saw Nina.
“Nina!”
Nina blinked in confusion. Why is Damon so terrified?‘ But before she could ask, Damon bolted, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
The sight of Nina had triggered a reaction that was stronger than his brain could process. It wasn’t a conscious choice. His body just reacted to the deep psychological scars from her earlier training.
Oliver, who had been planning to defend Jessica, looked back at Nina in bewilderment.
“What did you do to him? Why did he run off like that?”
Nina, oblivious to the terror she instilled, crossed her arms in annoyance. “How should I know? Am I really that scary?”
Jessica, relieved to have avoided punishment, couldn’t help herself.
“You really should think about what you’ve done, Nina. The instructor practically ran from you. The Woods family’s reputation is in your hands, and you’re making us look bad.”
Nina narrowed her eyes. “Jessica, are you looking for a fight?”
Jessica immediately darted behind Oliver, gritting her teeth. “Nina, you can’t just go around picking fights. This is a military base! I heard Oliver say that Clifford values discipline more than anything. If he finds out you’re causing trouble, you’re done for.”
“Oh, is that so? Well, let’s see if I’m really done then.”
2/3
3:28 PM
Chapter 29
Nina cracked her knuckles and stepped forward.
Oliver stiffened, ready to step in. “Nina, wait-”
But before anyone could react, someone shouted from behind.
“Mr. Snee is here!”
