Chapter 7

When Jacob heard Aaron's voice, an upset look flashed across his face. The look in his eyes revealed his impatience. Nicole seized the opportunity to free herself from Jacob's hold and took a number of steps back. It wasn't until Aaron extended his arm to gently stop her from backing away that she looked up and met his eyes, which held a candid gaze. Jacob looked in Aaron's direction, feeling displeased. When he saw Aaron, his expression changed. During their previous encounter at the hospital, he hadn't recognized Aaron. It was only when he saw the news report that he learned that Aaron was a scion of the Compton family. He was a mysterious figure who rarely appeared in public. However, after inheriting the family's assets in recent years, his family's business expanded to over a hundred outlets. His capabilities were not to be underestimated. Even now, the Escobar family could not rival the Compton family. Jacob couldn't look away after he noticed where Aaron's hand was. He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized further. "Nicole, are you still refusing to admit that you cheated on me? You claim you don't fancy the rich, but you offered yourself to them behind my back? "Did you think that you'll be able to get yourself involved with people like the Comptons?" The harshness of Jacob's words pierced through Nicole's heart. Her heart went cold. She couldn't believe she had once been so blind as to fall for someone like Jacob. She thought that his words and actions were absolutely revolting! Aaron spoke up in a calm voice. "Mr. Escobar, you are such an expert at insulting your ex-girlfriend. It seems like you really couldn't care less about the relationship you once shared." Jacob sniggered. The gloominess on his face was apparent. He walked toward them. Now that he had a chance to speak with Aaron, naturally, he wouldn't miss it. "Mr. Compton, as you know, people in our circles are just in it for fun. How could we possibly marry and start a family with someone outside them? "Although, as Nicole's ex, I should advise you that she is a blockhead. She's no fun at all, Mr. Compton. You'll be wasting your time if you play with her. "She's an extremely virtuous woman who is against sex before marriage." Jacob spoke condescendingly and showed absolutely no respect for Nicole. Nicole's eyes welled up with tears. Her patience had run out. Suddenly, she raised her hand and smacked Jacob right in the face when he least expected it. His face was turned to the side, and he could feel the heat on his cheek. He bit down on his lip immediately and gulped. When he looked at Nicole, he did so with a dark gaze. "Nicole, was I too easy on you? Between you and me, you are not to make a scene before me!" Just as Jacob raised his hand to grab Nicole, Aaron interfered by grabbing his wrist instead. At that moment, both men stood off against one another in silence. Even though Jacob wasn't going to argue against Aaron in public, as a scion of the Escobar family, he did not wish to be defeated by Aaron. Nonetheless, no matter how hard he tried, Aaron did not budge. When Nicole instinctively glanced at Aaron, she noticed the defined muscles in his strong arms, giving him a cool, masculine presence. Eventually, Jacob, whose cheeks flushed red, threw in the towel. Aaron asked, "Mr. Escobar, how could you try to hit a woman? Aren't you ashamed?" It was peak hour at the hospital right then. The appearance of this trio was outright attention-grabbing. Almost all those who walked past would either stop or turn back repeatedly to look at them. The sounds of the chatters almost intensified with time. "I never thought that I'd still be able to see two men fight over a woman in real life. That woman is so lucky to have two handsome men pining over her!" "The woman is really gorgeous, too. Otherwise, why would the men fight over her?" "I want to see who she chooses in the end!" Nicole balled her hands into fists immediately when she heard those remarks. Her head was in a mess. People would misunderstand her even further if she remained here. Moreover, she didn't wish to continue arguing with Jacob either. Taking a deep breath, she looked straight at Aaron and said, "Mr. Compton, let's go." Jacob fumed when he heard that. "Nicole, you're not even going to pretend anymore?" Nicole was incredibly fed up. She snapped, "Jacob, we no longer have anything to do with one another. What right do you have to question me?" The look in her eyes was overly calm, so much so that Jacob couldn't bear to look at her. He furrowed his brows. Things weren't turning out the way he expected. He and Nicole were together for three years. Nicole was someone with a submissive character who had always put him first. He wondered how Nicole could make such a clean break now that they had broken up. He expected her to struggle to adjust to life without him. Then, she should be coming back to him in tears, asking to get back together. The atmosphere around them turned extremely heavy. Aaron shoved Jacob's hand aside. Unexpectedly, Jacob lost his balance and staggered backward. Then, Aaron glanced briefly at Nicole and said, "Whatever you say." Compared to how he spoke to Jacob, his attitude was completely different when he spoke to Nicole. Jacob could even see a tinge of tenderness in Aaron's eyes. He clenched his fists tightly. He was determined not to let Aaron take any interest in Nicole! Nicole left the hospital with Aaron without looking back. It was only after she exited the place that she seemed to have had all her energy sucked out of her. Even her voice sounded weak. "Thank you for today, Mr. Compton." Narrowing his eyes, Aaron asked, "Shouldn't you be looking the other person in the eyes when you're thanking them?" Nicole inexplicably felt her cheeks flush red. She didn't want to allow her mind to wander. Aaron was someone way above her station. So, she thought that he shouldn't be interacting with her in any way. Especially after her experience with Jacob, Nicole learned that two people with such a wide gap in their statuses could never be each other's true loves. As such, regardless of whether Aaron was interested in her or if he had other motives of his own, she did not want to get involved with him. Keeping her eyes down, Nicole said, "Mr. Compton, we are entirely different people. I appreciate you stepping in to help me these few times, but I don't think you'd have so much time to interfere with someone else's matters. "There's nothing much I can repay you with, Mr. Compton. I guess all I have left is my professional skills. If you ever feel unwell in the future, feel free to come to me any time." At other times, they would just be strangers to one another. Aaron raised a brow. Was she just so keen on keeping her distance from him? That being said, Aaron wasn't affected much by her remarks. After all, he only stepped in to help her so that he could avoid some future troubles for himself. His gaze shifted back to indifference. "Okay. But don't forget that you owe me a favor." By the time Nicole processed his words, he was already gone. She stood alone, still in the same spot as when he'd left. Nicole did not remain there for long. She turned and left the hospital. After finding a law firm with a decent reputation, she made an appointment to meet with an attorney. When she was led into their lounge, she played the voice recording from her phone. The sound of Robert's warnings and insults toward her echoed through the lounge. The attorney frowned slightly upon hearing the recording. "Ms. Lawrence, is that the voice of Silverwood Hospital's medical director in the recording?"