Chapter 10

Stella was displeased. In the past, no matter how much she scolded Jonathan, he would remain silent, at most offering a meek explanation when facing the Campbell family. But now, after several encounters where he showed a cold attitude, he completely disregarded her identity as the young lady of the Cooper family and his fiancée. This sharp contrast made her uncomfortable, especially when she saw Jonathan and Michelle running playfully in the rain that afternoon. She suddenly felt a hollow sensation in her heart, like something was quietly slipping away. Frederick noticed the complicated look Stella gave Jonathan and felt an intense sense of crisis. So Jonathan was really playing hard to get. Frederick tugged at Stella's sleeve, shaking his head sadly. "Stella, please return to your seat. Don't let this escalate into another conflict with Jonathan. After all, he's your fiancé," he said sorrowfully. His voice grew quieter at the mention of Jonathan being Stella's fiancé. "I don't want you to resent each other because of me." The surrounding students couldn't help but feel sympathy. Frederick was so devoted! Not long ago, he had given Stella a love letter, proving that he had fallen for her. But there was an engagement standing in their way. Jonathan really didn't deserve her, but he kept holding on to her. Stella shook off her scattered thoughts. Hearing Frederick's considerate words, she realized what she had been thinking. What did it matter who Jonathan was with? If he had a girlfriend, she would be happy. That would give her a perfect excuse to break off the engagement, claiming Jonathan's infidelity as the reason! Her gaze turned cold. "Jonathan, you haven't changed. You never sincerely apologize when you make mistakes!" Jonathan's eyes were filled with disdain as he glanced at Frederick, and Frederick felt a pang of guilt in his heart. "You've mastered the art of pretending to be a victim and framing others." Frederick quickly explained, "I never did that! Jonathan, how could you frame me?" Jonathan sneered. "Oh, in front of the Campbells, you treat me as your 'brother,' but when they're not around, you act like I'm nothing. You're a bit two-faced, aren't you?" Frederick's expression changed. If it weren't for wanting the Campbell family's inheritance and marrying someone as beautiful as Stella, he would never have admitted Jonathan was his brother! Something dark flickered in his eyes. When he looked up again, his expression had shifted back to one of hurt and grievance. "Jonathan, it's not like that. We need to be mindful of our words and actions in school." Jonathan took out his phone and waved it to Frederick. "I recorded the video of you deliberately falling." In his previous life, he had been falsely accused of pushing Frederick. Stella had defended Frederick and reported it to the teacher, and the rest of the class sided with him. He had no way to argue and was punished in front of the entire school during the flag-raising ceremony on Monday for violating school rules. He was forced to read a ten-thousand-words apology letter he had written himself. This time, he wouldn't repeat his mistakes. While Frederick wasn't paying attention, he had secretly recorded the video. Frederick was shocked. Jonathan had actually brought his phone! He knew the classroom didn't have cameras, so he shamelessly framed Jonathan. But he never expected that Jonathan would bring a phone and actually record evidence! Frederick instinctively tried to back down. "Jonathan, I won't blame you. Class is about to start, and studying is more important." After saying this, he turned to leave. "Are you trying to escape to avoid facing the consequences?" A sweet, soft voice suddenly stopped him in his tracks. The students turned to see Michelle, the new transfer student, speaking up. She blinked her bright, beautiful eyes, and her fair face was one of curiosity. The students began to clamor, still believing in Frederick's character. "Frederick, don't be afraid! Jonathan definitely doesn't have a video because you didn't frame him. He's just trying to scare you!" "Yeah! Jonathan, hurry up and show us the video! I want to see what trick you're playing!" "My gosh! Michelle, are you being threatened by Jonathan? Why are you defending him?" Frederick paused, turning around to maintain a calm exterior, though his heart was already in turmoil. But the words from the students eased his fear a little. Maybe Jonathan was just lying to intimidate him, making him feel flustered and revealing his true intentions! He couldn't panic; otherwise, he would fall into Jonathan's trap! Frederick tried to control his voice, making sure it didn't tremble. "Michelle, you're new here, so you don't know Jonathan's real nature. He's bullied me more than once. Everyone here can testify." She placed her hands on Jonathan's back, only revealing her shy, beautiful eyes. She said nervously, "I… I only trust my own eyes. I saw you deliberately trip and frame him. Anyway, he recorded a video, and the truth will be clear once everyone sees it." She then lowered her head and hid behind Jonathan, her voice full of hurt. "Jonathan, he's being mean to me. I'm so scared. I just told the truth. Why is he being so mean to me?" Jonathan couldn't help but laugh. "Because he's guilty." With that, he lazily looked over at Frederick, whose face was pale. Frederick didn't dare risk Jonathan playing the video in front of everyone. What if Jonathan really had recorded it? Damn it! He should have paid more attention to Jonathan's small movements earlier. Otherwise, he would have avoided ending up in such a situation. Just as he was racking his brain to devise a solution, Jonathan took his phone, put his hand in his pocket, and walked up to the podium. He connected his phone and projected the video onto the large screen. The images and sounds left the students speechless. What a plot twist! Jonathan was the victim, and Frederick was the one staging everything! Stella stared blankly at the video, her expression turning serious. Frederick's expression changed as he looked at Stella, his eyes red, trying to explain, "Stella, I'm sorry. It's my fault. I love you too much and didn't want you to stay being Jonathan's fiancée. I… I was wrong." He lowered his head, his eyes filled with deep sorrow. She frowned and looked at Jonathan with a slightly different gaze, no longer as cold and disgusted. Facing Frederick's apology, she remained silent and returned to her seat. Frederick froze for a moment, lowering his gaze to hide his frustration. The bell rang, and he had no choice but to return to his seat angrily. Stella had mixed feelings. She couldn't control herself as she glanced at Jonathan several times. Jonathan listened attentively to the class and was intensely focused on the math problem the teacher was solving on the blackboard. Michelle noticed that Stella had been looking at his handsome face several times. Her clear, innocent eyes flashed with a fleeting shadow of jealousy and possessiveness. The temperature in the room dropped. She exuded a tense presence, her hand squeezing the pen in her grasp until it broke in half.