The Ceo’s Contract Lover

“Miss Santiago, I did not expect such a behavior from you,” the principal bellowed angrily. “I understand you feel provoked, but violence is never the answer.”

Although he was proud to have a diligent student like her in his institute, Madison had the backing of the Luxton family.

The nurse attended to Madison’s swollen face, applying a cold compress to her bruised cheek.

Her tear-stained face twisted in pain as she winced, “It hurts!” she whimpered.

With each minute, Madison’s sobs grew louder, as she yelled, “I can’t believe she did this to me! She’s fucking crazy!”

The principal’s temples throbbed upon seeing the situation unfold in front of him. “Madison, could you please calm down? We’re here to address the issue.”

Madison’s face was now purple and blue, her swollen features barely recognizable. Her mascara had smudged, leaving dark streaks down her cheeks, mingling with her tears.

He was positive that Madison’s appearance would undoubtedly lead to serious consequences for Nina.

However, the perpetrator stood in a corner nonchalantly, as though the entire situation had nothing to do with her.

With her hands in her pockets, her steady gaze met the principal’s eyes. “I was only defending myself.” She explained.

Madison’s eyes widened, her tear-streaked face contorting with anger. “Defend yourself? Stop lying! If the staff members had appeared a moment later, I could have died in your hands.”

Sniffling, her expression turned sinister as she spat. “I want her suspended!”

The principal gave them both a stern look. “We will discuss this further, but for now, both of you please call your parents or guardians over.”

Madison sneered and immediately reached for her phone, her fingers tapping away at the screen to dial a number. There was a smug satisfaction in her gaze as the call connected. “LJ? Could you please come to my college right now? It’s urgent.”

Nina’s heart sank as she heard Madison’s words. She never expected her to be so shameless.

“I’m busy.” Came Jayden’s quick reply.

Madison’s eyes flickered to Nina as she burst into sobs. “LJ, you have to stand up for me. Nina, that wench, has bullied me. Please come over, all right?”

The principal, the nurses, and even Nina all had goosebumps all over their bodies hearing her coquettish tone.

The voice on the other end of the phone was silent before agreeing. “Okay.”

Madison held the phone to her ear, and her lips curled into a triumphant smile. “Yes, please hurry. I’ll be waiting for you.”

Madison was overjoyed.

Thinking about how Jayden was going to punish Nina, the smile on her face widened and she looked at Nina provokingly.

In her rejoicing, Madison seemed to have overlooked that the only reason Jayden had agreed was because he had heard Nina’s name.

The principal, on the other hand, slumped down in his chair when he heard the conversation. With Jayden in the picture, it was all over now.

Feeling annoyed, he could not help but look at Nina in resentment. “Miss Santiago, please call your guardian too.”

Why did she have to offend Madison? If she was bullied, why couldn’t she alert the authorities? Why did she have to take matters into her own hands?

Madison had already threatened to sue the institute, and even he was dragged into their petty fights.

Nina’s eyes narrowed, and her chest tightened upon hearing him. She knew the gravity of the matter, however; she wasn’t afraid. After a deliberate pause, they heard her low voice. “I have no one to call.”

Other than Jayden, she had no one to contact.

Since Madison had already notified him, there was no need to go through the trouble again.

“That’s right, principal. Didn’t you know Nina is an orphan?” Madison’s disdainful laugh cut through the silence.

The atmosphere in the principal’s office suddenly became uncomfortable as Madison’s words hung in the air.

They couldn’t help but look at Nina with pity.

One was a pampered princess who had the backing of the most powerful man in the country, while the other was a lowly commoner without any support.

It was obvious who was going to suffer losses in this battle.

Nina did not react upon hearing Madison’s words.

It was the truth, and there was nothing to be ashamed of.

The tension in the principal’s office seemed to intensify as the minutes ticked by. Nina remained composed, waiting for Jayden’s arrival.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the hallway. The door to the office swung open, revealing Jayden’s imposing figure. His features were cold and his expression was unreadable.

As he entered, the principal hurriedly rose from his seat to welcome Jayden. However, before the principal could even take another step, Madison leaped from her seat and rushed toward Jayden. Her actions were swift and calculated, her tears flowing freely as she threw herself into his arms.

Madison’s grip on Jayden tightened, her voice quivering as she spoke. “LJ, Nina attacked me! She hurt me badly.”

Jayden’s expression remained unchanged as he stood there still. He looked down at Madison and observed the swelling on her face. However, he was distant and unmoved by her display.

Feeling awkward, the principal cleared his throat as he addressed Jayden. “Mr. Luxton, thank you for coming, and sorry for the trouble. We have a situation involving Nina and Madison that we need to handle.”

Jayden lightly but firmly pushed Madison away and finally shifted his gaze toward Nina.

His lips tightened as his piercing eyes locked onto Nina’s figure, standing alone in a corner of the office.

The contrast between the two girls was stark – Madison was surrounded by nurses, the principal, and an air of sympathy, while Nina stood isolated.

Compared to Madison, Nina was in a better condition. However, there was still an abrasion on her forehead and bruises on her knees.

Observing the two women, it did not look like a fight, but, a one-sided assault.

The principal then proceeded to explain to him the entire situation.

After he finished speaking, Madison continued her performance, her words tumbling out in a stream of complaints and accusations. “LJ, you have to stand up for me.”

Jayden ignored her cries and turned to Nina instead. “Is this true?” he asked.

Nina met his gaze, her expression unyielding. “Yes, I did confront Madison,” she admitted. “But I didn’t attack her. I was only defending myself.”

Madison’s grip on Jayden tightened. “She’s lying. She’s trying to make herself look innocent by twisting the facts.”

Her deliberate acting did not escape Nina’s eyes as she used her relationship with Jayden to manipulate the situation to garner sympathy and support.

Nina’s expression did not change as she turned to the principal instead. “Sir, if you don’t believe me, you can review the CCTV footage from the cafeteria, and you’ll know the truth,” she requested, her voice unwavering.

Upon hearing her words, she froze and panicked when she realized there was surveillance footage.

She had always relied on her connections to bully others and avoid getting caught. Her background and powerful family had shielded her from consequences time and time again.

But now, if the surveillance video were to be reviewed, her actions would be exposed.

With her fingers trembling, she clutched at her torn clothes. “T-There’s no need for that,” she stammered, her voice betraying her anxiety. “I’ve told you the truth. She attacked me on purpose.”

Nina’s lips curled into a faint smile. “We’ll know once the footage is out,”

Madison’s face drained of color, her eyes widening with a mix of fear and realization. She immediately turned to Jayden for support. “LJ, please?” Her voice quivered.

Just as the principal was about to signal for his assistant, a voice that had remained silent finally spoke. “Principal, this is a family matter. We will handle it privately.” Jayden’s voice was composed, his words carrying an air of authority.

The principal’s eyebrows furrowed, his confusion evident.

Family matters? Wasn’t Nina an orphan? How did it suddenly become a family matter?

Seeing his confusion, Jayden addressed his unspoken question. “Nina is my…” He hesitated for a fraction of a second before replying. “… wife.”

“Oh, My God!”

The principal’s eyes widened in disbelief, his mind struggling to process the information. He had always been aware of Jayden’s connections and influence, but this revelation was unexpected.

But why had Nina never mentioned her relationship with Jayden before?

“Well, in that case…” He trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.

One was his wife, while the other was his niece. He really had a headache just thinking about it.

“What if I don’t want to settle it privately?” Suddenly, Nina’s voice cut through the tension.

All eyes turned toward Nina as her amber gaze locked onto Jayden.

Jayden’s heart skipped a beat as he met Nina’s gaze.

The coldness in her eyes pierced through him, leaving him momentarily taken aback. He felt uncomfortable under her scrutiny and looked away.

“Don’t mess around,” Jayden’s voice was austere, laced with a tinge of warning.

Nina’s chest tightened at his words. With a hint of exasperation, she spoke again. “So, we’re just going to ignore the truth? Pretend as if none of this happened?”

She had expected him to see through Madison’s lies, or to at least listen to her side of the story.

Yet, his response was not what she had expected, leaving her feeling betrayed. The disappointment weighed heavily on her heart, a sharp ache that she struggled to suppress.

It was unknown whether Jayden could see the agony in her voice or if he deliberately chose to ignore it.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

With his jaw tightened, his expression hardened as his dark gaze met hers once more. “We’ll talk about it at home,” he declared, his words carrying a finality that contained no argument.