Novels by Madeline.L

Martin, lost in thought and gazing into the distance, didn't see Charlotte deliberately fall to the ground when her relatives reached out to her."Ah..."Her cry successfully snapped Martin back to reality.He immediately bent down to help her up. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"Charlotte, tears welling up in her eyes, replied pitifully, "My wrist hurts so much, I think I've fallen on it again! I hope it's not dislocated?"Martin noticed the bandage on her wrist had come undone.The packet of medicine inside was nearly falling out. Anger started to well up inside him; this time, he was thoroughly enraged."Alan, take all of them to the police station, contact the lawyer, charge them with slander, intentional harm, extortion... I want them in jail."Feeling his boss's rage, Alan immediately carried out the order."Why are you suing us? We're the ones who have been wronged.""Just because you're wealthy doesn't put you above the law. Let me tell you, we won't back down without pr

Hunter looked at her with tenderness, patiently waiting for her to finish speaking.Seeing his gentle expression, Patricia found it difficult to voice the words at the tip of her tongue. Nervously she reached for the lemon water on the table and took a gulp.She drank too hastily, and the sourness made her teeth quiver, causing her face to scrunch up.Hunter was amused by her adorable expression and considerately poured a little packet of sugar into her lemon water."I remember you used to hate sour tastes! What changed? Are you not afraid anymore? Going straight for it?" he asked with a smile.With her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and faced with his caring gesture, found her words of refusal even harder to pronounce.Hunter stirred the water in her cup with a straw for a while, making sure the sugar dissolved, then handed it back to her: "Here, try now. It shouldn't be sour anymore."Patricia nodded and took a sip through the straw. The taste was a bittersweet delight.Although

Only when the phone’s ringtone broke the silence, the deadlock was finally broken.Martin glanced at the caller ID with a gloomy expression, sighed, turned the phone upside down on his thigh in resignation. He turned to Patricia, unbuckled his seatbelt, and moved closer, taking hold of her shoulders. With a serious and helpless look on his face, he said, "Patricia, I'm sorry, I admit I was too overbearing just now. But I'm being overprotective because I care about you so much, and I don't want to see you getting too close with Hunter."Care? It was the first time Patricia had heard this word from him.The anger in her chest dissipated almost instantly, and her tone softened unconsciously. "Hunter and I grew up together. When Debbie and her daughter bullied me, he was the one who protected and encouraged me time after time. He is very important to me. If a condition for remarrying you is to cut ties with him, then I can give you the answer now."Even without her saying it, Martin gues

Martin didn't give her a chance to escape, questioning every word, "So, is what Hunter said true? Are you really going to get engaged and marry him?"Patricia felt that the matters between her and Hunter couldn't be explained in just a few words, and moreover, everything was premature without having cleared things up with Hunter first.Seeing her still not responding, Martin grew impatient and urged, "Answer my question."Patricia pulled her hand back and said indifferently, "I won't marry him."That was her only answer. The rest, she wasn't ready to share with Martin yet.This answer caused a surge of joy in Martin's heart, his previously tense facial features gradually softened as he smiled like a child, unable to hide his delight."I knew you wouldn't like him." He said.Patricia rolled her eyes at him, "Now take me back to the restaurant."The smile on Martin's face vanished in an instant, and he refused without hesitation, "No, I won’t..."Before he could finish, his cell phone r

Upon hearing his question, Patricia burst into laughter, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "So what if it is? What difference does it make if it isn't?"She did not deny it.Martin took her non-denial as an admission, and his handsome face darkened like the bottom of a pot, his eyes filled with brooding shadows."I don't agree.""Haha..." Patricia laughed even harder, her snort of derision loud and unmasked. "And might I ask, who are you to me? By what right do you interfere? What does it matter to you whom I'm with? At best, you're nothing more than my ex-husband. Remember, ex-hus-band."She enunciated the words “ex-husband” deliberately, making sure he grasped their significance.Martin's normally composed brows furrowed, wrapping him in an aura of cold sternness.He was clearly displeased with these words. Then silence hung in the air, heavy and enigmatic.He spoke with grave seriousness, "Let's remarry!"As he spoke, a chilly wind blew past them, its whistling sound drowning out Mar

Hunter expected Martin to back down and leave in a sorry state.However, to his surprise, Martin’s expression was filled with pain as he stared at their clasped hands for a moment and then strode over to them.Confusion filled Patricia as she instinctively turned her head and locked eyes with Martin, whose gaze burned with fierce anger. Her mind felt like it was exploding as if something detonated."How did you get here?" Patricia asked, barely able to form the words.No sooner had the words left her lips than Martin had reached out, forcibly separating Patricia and Hunter's clasped hands. In Patricia's stunned state, he grabbed her wrist and started to pull her away."Martin, what are you doing?" Patricia's heart began to flutter with slight panic.Martin's face had been a ghastly sight just now, as if he was on the verge of a killing spree. She had no clue where his rage was coming from.Hunter quickly stood up and seized Patricia's other wrist, forcing Martin to stop. Martin turned

After a thorough read, she folded the document and spoke up, her voice indifferent, "Kid, who drafted this contract?""Our young master did," replied Russell, “Ms. DeRoss, if everything looks fine to you, the contract will take effect once you sign it."Haley chuckled. She was striking, exuding a bewitching charm.And yet, within the depths of her clear eyes, there was a peculiar blend of innocence and mystery.Keith felt his defenses soften and his detachment give way when he saw her smile. It was as if a hole had been poked through his armor of indifference.Realizing too late that he had been staring at Haley for a while, frustration surged within him.This woman must have used that same smile to ensnare Dad and confuse Owen..."I see a problem," she said, her smile vanishing.She leaned forward, a sense of authority emanating from her.Looking Keith straight in the eye, her lips twisted into a disdainful curve, "You should be in school at your age, not out here trying to show off.

Transmedia Tech, an internet media company.Two years ago, there were rumors of its bankruptcy, and after being acquired, it suddenly came back to life and became a leading player in the internet industry.However, there is not much information about this company on the internet.Haley glanced at Transmedia Tech's profile and said lightly, "What time did they make an appointment?""Half past two, at Pennie Coffee."After finishing her work in the morning, Haley drove straight to Pennie Coffee.She arrived ten minutes early, ordered a cup of coffee, and began to read the information on the internet.She searched for the company again, but she still couldn't find much info, and even the investor info behind it had been removed.It can be seen that this company has a lot of connections.She just didn’t know why this company would take a fancy to her newly opened studio.Haley waited for about five minutes before she heard footsteps outside the private room.She straightened her collar an

Keith thought that Haley had also planned to gain the trust of the entire Winston family through Owen. This woman's quite a schemer. Keith knew he had to be cautious......Haley picked up the kids and went home. When she was cooking dinner, she received a video call from Owen."Haley, why didn't you come to see me?" Owen's voice was still weak, "I'm so bored here in the hospital all alone. Could you come keep me company? I want to hear stories..."Haley shook the ladle in her hand, "It's too late today; I'll come see you tomorrow and bring you some cookies I've baked.""You're the best, Haley!" Owen's enthusiasm was palpable.Haley’s lips curled into a smile, "Get some rest now, and don't stay up too late, okay?""How about a goodnight kiss, then?" Owen puckered his lips towards the phone screen, a bandage still wrapped around his head, looking both pitiful and comically adorable.Laughing, Haley pressed a kiss to her phone screen and then ended the call.Carrying the freshly stewed

"The timing is too perfect, isn't it?" Keith said slowly, "Owen got in a car accident, and Haley just happened to be there and then saved him by donating her blood to him. What a coincidence!"His voice was deep and raspy, unlike a four-year-old boy.Ivan's eyes narrowed, "You think Haley staged the accident?""She had a motive," Keith pressed his lips together firmly and continued, "Surely you're aware of the bad blood between Mom and Haley...""It wasn't her," Ivan stated flatly.He had already been briefed on the accident. It was indeed premeditated. Someone had the audacity to target his son. But that someone couldn't possibly be Haley."Dad, are you so certain it isn't this woman when the investigation is still ongoing?" Keith's voice chilled, "What if it turns out to actually be Haley?""She wouldn't hurt Owen," Ivan looked at him with conviction. "She saved your brother; you shouldn't suspect her."Darkness crept into Keith's eyes.His moth

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Don't worry, Mom, I'll have someone look into it. I won't let anyone hurt Owen."After she voluntarily donated blood to save Owen, it's unlikely she'd attempt anything against him again anytime soon..." Emily's voice was husky and choked with emotion. "Now that she's gained your dad's trust, I’m sure she'll make her move... Keith, I’m really scared she’ll hurt you or Owen. I’d rather she came after me...""It won't happen."Keith ended the phone call.He turned to his assistant, Russell, and said coolly, “Check out that car accident near the DeRoss Group building. See what that was all about.”Russell nodded, “Will do, Mr. Winston.”He pulled out his phone and started making calls...Keith instructed his driver, "To the hospital."As the car glided smoothly down the road, they hadn't even reached the hospital when Russell received a call from the traffic police.The majority of the time, Maple Street is congested, w

Keith had been involved in the family business since the age of three.The company under his operation, Transmedia Tech, was a subsidiary that the Winston Group had planned to divest from two years ago.He took over the day before its planned bankruptcy.Now, after a year of shrewd management, Transmedia had become one of the top three most profitable subsidiaries of Winston Group.Keith, having just finished a meeting, felt a nagging unrest.He was usually a calm person, but his current anxiety exposed a vulnerability reflective of a four-year-old child."Young Master, you've pretty much wrapped up all your work for today. Perhaps you should head back and rest?" suggested his young assistant, Russell, with due respect.Keith shook his head.He sensed discomfort.Had something happened to Owen?He was about to reach for his phone to call Alfred when his phone began to vibrate.He glanced at it. The incoming call was from his mother.Ti

As Ashton was sorting through the gifts, she too was reflecting on everything."Isn't my life just a series of bizarre twists?" she mumbled, looking down. "Finding out Chris was secretly going on blind dates behind my back, then breaking up. Watching him get engaged, and seeing my own mom take his fiancée's side, leading to our fallout. That should have been my rock bottom, right?"Fiona nodded in agreement.The day Ashton cut ties with her mom, she'd even bought her a plane ticket. She wanted to send her to some tranquil getaway for a much-needed vacation to relax and rejuvenate."Who would've guessed? Right after the falling out with my mom—a spur-of-the-moment decision—I ended up marrying Kenny. I was so down on my luck, I thought, 'How much worse can it get?'” Ashton chuckled ironically, then softened a bit. "But, who could have predicted how good Kenny would turn out to be? How he'd respect every single wish of mine."It was a kind of care that she hadn't felt since her dad had l

Fiona was actually surprised. After all, she wasn't a saint without desires. It all made sense to just go with the flow and do what naturally came next. She might only berate herself later for succumbing to her cravings. But Darwin stopped, and that was beyond her expectations. In the past, this would have been unthinkable. It seemed as though... he really had learned to respect her.She pressed a quick, rewarding peck onto Darwin's lips, smiled, and teased, 'Mr. Solomon, maybe you should head to the bathroom?”Her smile was captivating and bright, causing Darwin's past five years of distressing memories to resurface. He pulled her into his arms again."Wife, I miss you so much, I'm starting to lose my mind," Darwin's voice shook, betraying his emotional turmoil. "I keep seeing your shadow at home, but when I chase after it, there's nothing... Thank goodness... this time I've really got you in my arms."Fiona listened to his voice laced with sobs, her heart aching with each word."Ser

Darwin had always been self-centered in matters of intimacy. Whenever he desired, she couldn't refuse.In her haziness, Fiona felt like she was back in those times again."Don't be afraid."Sensing her anxiety and unease, Darwin softened, kissing her lips again and coaxing her with his gentle voice, "I won't force you. I'll wait until you're ready to truly accept me."In Fiona's misty eyes, desire began to cloud her vision. Her gaze often seemed distant and disconnected. As Darwin kissed her, her mind turned into mush, instinctively she kissed him back softly.Mr. Solomon just stood there, silent, his towering frame taut."You know exactly how to torture me," Darwin groaned, voice hoarse, as he peppered her neck with more fervent kisses."Be gentle..." Fiona clenched his hand. "You'll leave marks!"Darwin chuckled lowly, then tilted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Why fear my marks? Scared that man will see and get jealous?""No, it's not that…" Fiona turned away with a sligh

Once finished, the anxiety within Lilian began to subside.Just wait a little longer, Lilian. All these nuisances will soon vanish.And then, you'll be there for Darwin with all your gentle warmth. He’ll eventually be moved, realizing you're the one for him...Lilian took a deep breath and exhaled.On her way out, she passed by the flower shop where Darwin made his purchase. From a distance, she had only glimpsed the type of flowers Darwin had bought and decided to buy the same kind.Inside the apartment, Darwin silenced his phone and tossed it aside."Why didn't you tell me? Worried I'd take Lilian's side?" he pulled her close and asked earnestly.For five years, she had lived in Lilian’s shadow, a daily reminder that she was merely a stand-in and that Lilian was the more important one—a notion that had likely seeped into her very marrow.This realization made Darwin wish he could travel back in time to give his younger self a good thrashing.He

"The only person I've ever schemed for was Solomon. What could possibly make you believe I'd harm someone I don’t even know, like Miss Rhoads?" Lilian asked. "If that's truly how you see me, maybe it'd be better if you just kicked me out of Solomon's life..."Darwin had promised to protect Lilian.Hearing her say this, he felt a twinge of guilt.But...Darwin feared even more that because of the thorn that was Lilian, his wife’s heart, which had just started to soften toward him, would turn cold again.He was walking on eggshells just to avoid pushing her away.So..."I'm sorry, Lilian," Darwin said flatly. "There's no room for discussion."Lilian sat frozen in the car, as if her blood was slowly turning to ice.Even in her early days back in the country, Darwin had never protected Fiona like this.He used to drop everything to be at Lilian's side whenever she needed him, leaving Fiona behind.Now...Even when she tried to befriend Che

Fiona gazed at Darwin, his face inexplicably brimming with pride."Lilian places great value on the RH Company project." She kept to herself the fact that Lilian had plagiarized her proposal, but Fiona wasn't about to let it slide.This was simply a clash of interests, and she felt no need to drag Darwin further into the fray, avoiding the mess of tangled priorities."Hmm," Darwin's smile faded slightly, "Her proposal is indeed impressive, but it pales in comparison to yours."Fiona studied him intently, searching his face for any hint of romantic sentiment towards Lilian.Her search ended in vain."What are you looking at?" Darwin pulled her closer by the waist, gazing up at her.Fiona brushed her fingertips gently across his cheek, causing him to nuzzle into her hand like a kitten seeking affection."Don't stay away too long, come back soon," he whispered softly, his voice barely a murmur.What he truly wanted to say was, "Don't leave."Thei

Oliver furrowed his brows, looking at the spaghetti in the thermos.But in his mind, he pictured the seafood soup Natalie used to make.Susan's spaghetti was simple and hadn't changed over the years.Natalie, on the other hand, would carefully consider the pairing and nutritional aspects when cooking and use more diverse ingredients."I'll eat it later," Oliver said.Susan's eyes lit up with joy, and she sweetly smiled at Oliver. "As long as you want to eat it, I can make it for you from now on!"Oliver's brow twitched imperceptibly upon hearing "from now on", feeling an inexplicable resistance, and Natalie crossed his mind."Susan, I called you here to ask about this. What's going on?" Oliver took out his phone, displaying the news article about him and Susan."I... I just came back to the country and needed some attention and publicity, so... I'm sorry, I didn't know the netizens would speculate like this." Susan subconsciously glanced at Oliver. Although he often appeared expressio

"Because Zoey is so good at makeup, and there's only Jacob in our group, how could I lend you makeup." Jane's smile is mischievous, as if it were a joke, making people feel no disgust, "You have Zoey's makeup technology, we use cosmetics to make up for Jacob's poor aesthetic, just to even out the odds!"Zoey chuckled, thinking that Jane, the former top socialite, was indeed not bragging. She managed to manipulate people without offending anyone unrelated, hitting the target precisely."Jane, aren't you going to scold me to death?" Jacob exclaimed in anger.His hands trembled as he applied blush on Natalie's cheeks. Having never done makeup for a woman before, he was already nervous, and then there was a woman next to him who kept making sarcastic remarks.Jane laughed, "You won't die, but you might feel happier."Lily looked at Natalie, hoping she would speak up and exchange props with her, but Natalie closed her eyes and allowed Jacob to do her makeup as if she hadn't heard anything.

"Lily!" Sharon frowned and reprimanded her.Lily pretended to suddenly understand, "Ah! I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"Zoey looked at these two people and a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes. She had seen through the tricks of these young people as if watching a show.Jane sneered at Lily and her lips moved slightly as she quietly asked Natalie, "Natalie, do you think I should throw this lunch in her face?"Natalie calmly held Jane's wrist and calmed her down.It wouldn't be good for Jane's reputation if she were to have conflict with Lily in front of so many people.Instead, Natalie smiled and said, "Why do you care about what I do with my husband? Are you interested in my husband? Whether or not I cook for him, isn't it my freedom to decide?" If Natalie's husband were an ordinary person, it would be fine, but unfortunately, he's Oliver. If she speaks carelessly, she could easily be labeled as someone who harbors ill intentions towards him, becoming the laughingstock and g

Jacob was shocked, his captivating fox eyes widened, "You...""Jane won the National Junior Amateur Shooting gold medal prize in high school. Haven't you heard of it?" Natalie said as she picked up the note to read it.Jacob was still stunned and thought, "I've only heard that Jane used to fight and go to bars. Who knew this girl would also play with guns? Is this a joke?""Both fighting and shooting? What's the point of being reincarnated as a woman?" Jacob couldn't help but comment."Just to make you feel ashamed. A man who wasted three bullets!" Jane laughed, her beauty extraordinary.Look down on my best friend? I'll curse you until you question your life!Natalie spread out the notes and said, "There are seven words."NPC Reminder: "Not every clue is a valid one."Jacob had an expression of "what the hell."What's the point of a clue if it's invalid?!The directing team loves this kind of teasing plotlines."How can we tell what this

Although the online photos didn't reveal Oliver's face or provide any indication of who he was, Natalie recognized him at first glance. It was the man she had once shared a bed with.He was the man who said he had work that night when she called."Natalie, don't overthink it. Maybe that's not Oliver? You can call him and ask." Jane advised, though she was already cursing Oliver inwardly."That person is Oliver." Natalie lowered her gaze and sneered. She recognized the cufflink he was wearing, the one she had given him.Not only that cufflink, but almost everyone in Paykston's upper circles knew that Mr. Windsor's most commonly used car was a top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce Phantom, with a black body and subtle luxury, bearing the license plate "7".And the car that was exposed online met all the requirements for Oliver's vehicle!"Take your positions, we're about to start!" The director's team urged.Lily touched up her makeup and walked over with a smile. "N

When Natalie finished her class and arrived at the recording site, most of the other guests had already arrived. The area was cordoned off, and there were many onlookers standing outside the designated area, including students from other universities who had rushed over after hearing the news.Natalie spotted someone in one of the guest's seats from a distance, her gaze flickered and then she smiled with joy, "Jane!"Jane stood up and embraced Natalie as she ran towards her.The surrounding students whispered to each other:"Natalie is also a guest?""Natalie's beside Jane? I can't believe it!""Who is that person? Such a strong presence!" "You don't know Jane? The former top socialite was not boasting." "Because birds of a feather flock together, beautiful people naturally become best friends with other beautiful people, right?" "Jane, why did you agree to be on a variety show?" Natalie asked, puzzled. Jane's personality was clearly not s