Chapter 358: Chapter 372

Chapter 372 Menu Alice headed to the restroom. While washing her hands, she saw Julia had followed her. She smiled and faced Julia.“Hi, Julia.”

“Alice, can we talk?”

Julia approached, staring at Alice and remembering her closeness to Jack just now.

Julia pursed her lips.“Alice, I’m impressed. You’re a technical lead at a young age and spoke for the company.”

“Thanks, Julia.”

Alice didn’t want to linger.

Julia wasn’t done.“You should know Jada dislikes you and won’t let you be with Jack. He’s always obeyed Jada and never goes against her.”

Alice’s eyes cooled.“What’s your point, Julia? Be direct. I’m busy.”

“Ms. Welch, I’m warning you not to dream about being with Jack. It can’t happen between you and him unless you’re okay being his secret lover forever.”

Hearing her words, Alice laughed.

She glared at Julia.“Are you sure? I remember that the woman who always wanted to be his secret lover was you.”

Alice moved closer, and Julia, guilt–ridden, retreated.“Stop talking nonsense! Jack and I grew up together; we have liked each other since we were young.”

“Come on. Jack never noticed you. You’re just jealous because I’m with him, and you never had a chance.”

Julia’s face faltered.

She defensively replied, “Alice, who do you think you are? Why would I be jealous of you?” “If you weren’t, why did you take Jack’s phone and say you were together? That night, Jada was in the hospital for emergency care.”

Julia’s face tightened.“I said we were together, and it’s true. We were at the hospital.” “But the next day, you claimed you were engaged and told me not to contact him anymore. The engagement was just a rumor you started; it never happened.”

Alice’s eyes were sarcastic, hurting Julia deeply.

Julia retorted, “Who do you think you are? Alice, you’re just a gold digger. You are not worthy of him!”

“Do you think I don’t know? You want to be with Jack because of his money and status. The Garcia family is currently facing a financial crisis, and you’re trying to solve this problem by marrying him. That’s why you and your mother are in such a hurry.”

After Alice spoke, Julia’s expression shifted drastically.

Julia seethed, saying, “Shut up! Even if the Garcia family has business troubles, we’re still better off than your Welch family. Your brother is trying every means to marry into a wealthy family to climb into the upper class. That’s truly shameful!”

11:20 99.7%

< Chapter 372 Menu My brother is indeed the kind of man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. You’re not wrong.”

Alice acknowledged it openly. The criticism was about someone from the Welch family, and it didn’t affect her.

She glanced at Julia.“If you genuinely like Jack, you should spend more time winning his heart instead of constantly causing trouble for me.”

Alice walked out of the restroom.

Julia stared at her departing form, so enraged she forgot her planned questions.

Julia, are you alright? Did Alice hit you? That bitch is cunning; be cautious around her in the future.*

I’m fine. Max, you’re right; Alice is more than she seems.”

Julia realized she had underestimated Alice.

Julia, you mentioned Jada disapproves of them. But now it looks like they’ve split up.”

“That’s what I assumed, so I tested Alice. But I feel like she said this on purpose, trying to make us let our guard down.”

Julia looked at Max. Watch her closely at school, but make sure she doesn’t catch you in any compromising situation that she can use to threaten you, got it?”

“I get it, Julia. Relax, I will stay vigilant in the future and won’t give Alice any more opportunities to threaten us.”

Max had always admired Julia since childhood and wouldn’t let Alice have the chance to get close to Jack Julia softly touched Max’s face.“Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to get that ankle bracelet off you.

The Garcia family’s business was struggling, so their former connections no longer favored them, which was why Max had to wear the ankle bracelet.

Julia went on, “You’re still in touch with Chloe, the Welch family’s adopted daughter, right? Inquire about the progress of their artificial intelligence project.”

Julia, weren’t you considering a partnership with the Wilson family?”

“The Wilson family turned it down.”

Julia’s eyes reddened faintly.“He rejected us to protect Alice.”

This was unprecedented.

Julia regained her composure. But our Garcia family won’t let this opportunity slip away.”

Neither would she.

Alice re–entered the venue and noticed Jack leaning back in his seat, his profile strikingly handsome.

Those around him clustered close, lavishing him with obsequious attention. At that moment, Alice acutely felt the chasm between her and Jack, as if they inhabited entirely separate worlds.

11.20 00 7 < Chapter 372 Menu Rather than going to him, she turned and made her way toward the student council president, where a group of journalism students had gathered.

As Alice approached, all eyes shifted to her.

Everyone had been talking about Alice, secretly admiring her for already holding a high–level executive position at a company.

The student council president inquired, “Alice, is there something you need to talk to us about?”

“Yes, there is. I want to ask the president of the journalism club some questions about a post on the school forum that falsely accuses me of being a kept woman.”

She had already verified the ID, and it was indeed the journalism club president who had posted it.

The journalism club president, bespectacled and appearing refined, stood up and approached Alice.“What do you want to say?”

money “I want to clarify that my entrepreneurial earnings are substantial, and I am not in need of nor dependent on any man. As someone studying journalism, you should avoid viewing women through a prejudiced lens. Just because a girl carries a designer bag or drives a luxury car doesn’t automatically mean she’s being supported by a man. That’s a rather narrow–minded perspective.”

His tone grew slightly confrontational.“You accuse me of being biased? Then can you clearly explain the situation in that photo?

Who was it that took you home?”

“I have no obligation to explain myself to you. I simply need to inform you that luxury cars and designer bags are things I can afford on my own.”

Alice stood resolutely. “Imagine yourself in my position. If you ever gave your mother an expensive gift and someone claimed it was because of her dubious relationship with a man, how would that make you feel?”

He immediately reddened with fury.“How did you acquire those company shares?” “Of course, it was through my own efforts. Do you still remember the incident when your phone got locked before? It’s not difficult to hack into phones, and that’s not something you achieve simply by depending on a man.”

Mary approached slowly.

Lana strode forward.“It seems to me that you’re just jealous because Alice is more capable than you. You’re just a bunch of men with no ambition, fixating on trivial matters like what’s under a girl’s skirt. You should pay more attention to social news and expose those illegal and criminal activities, cowards.”

The club president immediately flared up.“We’re just students.”

“Yeah, you’re just students, but Alice is a student as well, and yet she’s exceptionally outstanding, already involved in her own research projects. You can’t compete with her academically, so you resort to spreading rumors. It’s pathetic.”

Lana had been longing to let out her frustrations, and now that she had the opportunity, she wasn’t going to hold back.

“Alice, are you trying to stir up trouble? Why are you insulting my boyfriend? He’s already very accomplished. Boys just take longer to mature; they shine in the long term.”

Alice glanced over and recognized the same female student who had harassed her earlier, and she 11:20 2078 < Chapter 372 was dating the president of the journalism club.

No wonder she had been targeting her.

Lana shot back immediately, “Your boyfriend is studying journalism, yet he’s spreading rumors and slandering Alice through his writings. Are we not even permitted to address that?” The girl sniffed disdainfully, “If it’s slander, then let Alice clearly explain who the old man in the luxury car was.”

Alice responded calmly, “I have no obligation to explain, but I do need to expose your boyfriend’s actions of managing the school forum, crafting false posts to spread rumors, and profiting from it. He won’t just be expelled; he’ll also face legal repercussions.”

If they wouldn’t respond to a polite approach, then she would have to employ more stringent measures.

< Chapter 373