Chapter 173
Office.
James clicked on the folder with Nora's name and stared at her ID photo for a long time.
It was the only photo of Nora taken after she left prison, the one she submitted when she started at the company.
He saved the image into his encrypted folder, then opened the collection of old photos and videos of himself and Nora.
He looked at them for a very long time.
James knew he could not forget Nora.
How could he?
He hated that she had betrayed him. Hated that she had stubbornly pleaded guilty and gone to prison five years ago.
He hated that she had hurt herself just to retaliate against him.
Before she was exposed as a fake heiress, Nora had been gentle, pure as a white rosebud on the verge of blooming.
In his encrypted album, there was a separate folder dedicated solely to her.
Evelyn believed he had deleted those memories long ago.
In truth, he had hidden them.
In the photos, fourteen-year-old Nora wore her school uniform skirt, smiling brightly as she cheered on the playground.
She had always been dazzling.
No matter how crowded the field was, James could spot her at a glance.
Back then, the boys in class would eagerly sign up for sports events just to be closer to her.
"James, go! James, go!"
He had replayed that video countless times over the past five years.
Nora stood on the playground, holding pom-poms and cheering him on.
That day, he ran the final leg of the 4x1200-foot relay. The second and third runners had fallen behind, but he turned the tide.
All because he heard Nora leading the cheers.
They were not together yet at the time.
Back then, young love was simple and innocent. There were no schemes or hidden motives.
Just a pair of eyes fixed on the person they adored.
The next video showed Nora performing a solo dance at the sports meet’s closing ceremony.
At fourteen, she was like a flower just starting to bloom, beautiful in a way that was hard to describe.
Wherever she went, she was always the brightest presence.
On stage, dressed in a white ballet costume, she was dancing alone.
The audience remained silent until the final pose, then erupted into applause.
"James, do you like Nora? Why are you recording her?"
"See, James totally likes Nora!"
The teasing voices of classmates could be heard in the video James had recorded from below the stage.
"I do like Nora. So you’d better stay away from her,” James had admitted without hesitation.
"Terry likes Nora too!"
James made a dismissive sound. The video became chaotic as classmates urged him on. “James, your goddess finished dancing. Hand her some water!"
The recording ended there.
James leaned back in his chair, silent for a long time.
Though it had been a youthful love, it had left a deep mark on his heart.
The photos that followed were all of Nora.
They were taken in the classroom and in the dance studio.
Back then, James’s camera had always seemed to follow her.
"Nora, let's be together. I'll protect you from now on."
In the next video, the classroom buzzed with noise.
Nora sat on a desk, her delicate, youthful face pale.
Her hair was messy, her clothes damp—she had clearly been bullied.
She looked up timidly and said softly, “It's too early to date."
"We're in high school. How is that early?" James replied with a smile, sitting in the seat in front of her. "Be with me. I’ll always protect you."
Nora nervously twisted her fingers, keeping her head down for a long time amid the noise.
“Quiet down,” James snapped at the class.
The room fell silent.
After a long pause, Nora nodded carefully, her face flushing red.
The classroom erupted again.
"But you have to study hard and get into Celestial University," she added seriously. “You can’t fall behind. I can tutor you."
James leaned against her desk. "I'll study if you tutor me."
Her smile then had been pure and radiant, her eyes shining with confidence.
“Fine. Then you need to rank second in the class this time."
"Why not first?" he asked.
"Because I'm first." Nora answered simply.
She wasn’t being arrogant. It was simply the truth.
Back then, she had been confident that no one could surpass her grades.
But that confident girl had later fallen into ruin.
"I’ll always protect you, Nora."
Michael's office.
Watching those photos and videos play on the screen, Nora wished she could disappear.
Why did James kept all of this?
Michael stood beside her, his expression dark and unreadable.
David had sensed the tension and slipped away
Marcus, slower to react, remained standing nearby.
"He's lying,” Michael muttered coldly.
It was obvious he was referring to James in the video who had promised to protect her forever.
Nora lowered her head, her eyes reddening.
Some memories were the last things she wanted to revisit.
Hearing the usually composed and restrained Michael curse caught her off guard.
"She's really beautiful. Been stunning since she was a kid,” Marcus commented without thinking.
"Get out,” Michael said sharply, grabbing Marcus and pushing him toward the door.
Marcus stumbled outside, bewildered. "Is this how he asks for help?"
David patted him on the shoulder. "You'll get used to it."
"Has Mr. Smith been taking the wrong medicine lately?" Marcus joked.
David sighed. “He’s been under a lot of pressure. There’s James, his mother, and Nolan. The family situation isn’t simple.”
Marcus smirked. Only someone as dense as David could miss the obvious.
Michael was jealous.
“Looks like his jealousy kicked in late,” Marcus said bluntly.
"Don't talk nonsense." David quickly covered his mouth.
Marcus sat down on the sofa. "You have to admit, Mrs. Smith is really beautiful."
David froze. “Mr. Smith told you? About the contract marriage?”
"Contract?" Marcus narrowed his eyes.
Michael was playing a complicated game.
David clamped his mouth shut, realizing he might have said too much.
Office.
Nora stood in the corner, trembling, wishing she could melt into the wall.
Afraid Michael would mind her past with James, she forced the words out, her voice shaking. “Mr. Smith, James and I never… crossed that line.”
James had never touched her.
Back then, he had treasured her.
He had said he would wait until their wedding night. It would be taking advantage of her otherwise..