Madeline felt like she was dreaming while caught in a drowsy haze. Someone kept calling out to her in her dream. “Eveline, Eveline, wake up.” The gentle yet worried voice of a man rang out in her ears continuously. Eveline frowned and gradually opened her eyes. Ryan’s face slowly came into view amidst her blurred vision. “Eveline, are you awake?” he asked.“Ryan?” “It’s me,” Ryan said as he looked at her in worry. “Are you alright?” he asked.Alright? Clarity returned to her thoughts at once. She recalled what happened before she fainted just now. She then realized that she was lying on the bed. She sat up at once, the covers sliding down from her shoulders. She realized in shock that her clothes had been removed. She was only wearing a camisole. This entire situation made her feel oddly weirded out. She pulled up the covers and wrapped them around herself immediately. “How did this happen?” she asked in confusion. She had no idea what just happened. Upon catching
Ryan suddenly reached out to hold onto her. Madeline flung him away instinctively and freed her hand from his grip. Noticing Ryan’s bewildered gaze at her, Madeline realized that her response was slightly overblown. “Sorry, Ryan,” she said.“It’s alright. I acted rashly,” Ryan said as he supported the weight of his body with his arm. He stood up effortfully.“I know that it’s difficult for you to accept that this has happened between you and me. I know that the only man you love is Jeremy Whitman. This shall remain a secret between the both of us. I won’t mention it to anyone,” he told her.Madeline understood what he meant and knew that he was being nice. However, what had happened truly happened. It was no use telling themselves otherwise. Other people did not have to know about this, but there was no way she could get past her conscience. She did not say anything, only simply nodding before leaving.Madeline returned to Whitman Manor as soon as possible. Jeremy was not the
Jeremy paused when he heard Madeline’s queries. He raised his long, almond-shaped eyes slowly. A cold, hard glint was reflected in his amber eyes. The look in his eyes did not seem right. Madeline felt extremely curious. She walked over to him to take a glance at what he was looking at. However, Jeremy quickly kept the photos and put them inside an envelope. He then raised his eyes and smiled faintly at her. “They’re just some photos from our collaborator. There’s nothing much to see,” he said. He threw the file into his drawer and locked it. “Why did you come over all of a sudden? Did you miss me?” he asked. Madeline’s eyes crinkled in a smile. “I was passing by after sending the kids to kindergarten,” she replied.“So you’re here just because you were nearby?” he asked. “Yeah, just because I was nearby.” She chuckled coquettishly. The truth was, she did not come over just because she was nearby. She missed him. Raising her eyes, she noticed that the button at Jeremy
Once Mrs. Jones heard what he said, she knew that he was referring to her. She wanted to say something, but Ryan stopped her at once. “Mom, go back to your room,” he said. “Rye, don’t forget that you’re Eveline’s husband!” Mrs. Jones reminded him. “Don’t give a damn about the son of Glendale's wealthiest family. Do you think the Jones family is afraid of him?” she asked. Jeremy gazed at her coldly. “It’d be best if you aren’t afraid,” he said. “...” His harsh gaze frightened her, and she did not dare to say anything else. “Go to your room at once,” Ryan told her. Mrs. Jones did not say anything more. She turned around and made her way upstairs immediately. However, she detected a sense of aggressiveness in Jeremy. It seemed like he was here to find trouble with Ryan. She walked to the stairwell of the second floor and watched the events unfolding in the living room. Once she turned around, Jeremy threw an envelope at Ryan. About ten photographs fell out of the envelop
Jeremy ignored Mrs. Jones and loaded the bullets with practiced ease before hooking his slender finger on the trigger. “Did you think that with Yorick dead, you’d have nothing to fear anymore, Ryan?” A ripple finally flashed through Ryan’s elegant expression at the mention of Yorick Johnson.Jeremy’s sharp gaze caught the slight shift in the man’s expression, and he pressed the muzzle against Ryan’s heart. “You sure are good at hiding it.” Ryan looked confused as if he did not understand what Jeremy was talking about. He shot back, “Don’t you think that something’s wrong with you, Jeremy? It seems like not only did the poison change your appearance, but it’s messing with your thoughts as well.” Jeremy’s gaze darkened. “You’re right. My thoughts are messed up, and these messed up thoughts of mine are telling me that I want you gone.” His slender fingers curled around the trigger. Ryan was about to raise his hand to stop Jeremy when Madeline’s figure flashed in his periphera
Jeremy’s footsteps halted at Madeline’s voice for a quick moment before he continued forward.Watching him drive away, Madeline decided to drive and follow after him.Jeremy finally stopped his car after arriving at the seaside where they first met years ago.Bringing the car to a stop, Madeline stared from afar as Jeremy stood by the sea. She was surprised to find Jeremy smoking. She would never forget that cigarette!Lana was the one who gave Jeremy those cigarettes in the first place, and it was the slow-acting poison that was in them that almost killed Jeremy in the end. Why was he still smoking it?Madeline felt her heart leap in fear as she rushed toward Jeremy to grab his hand. “What are you doing, Jeremy? Why are you still smoking this?”Jeremy’s geep gaze locked onto Madeline’s worried-filled ones. He did not reply, only raising his hand to take another drag.Madeline’s heart grew frantic at the action.“Jeremy Whitman!”She snatched the cigarette from his hand and cr
Madeline hardened her heart and pulled her arm back as she turned to walk back toward her car.The sea breeze blew, pushing the tears that brimmed her eyes down her cheeks.‘You’ve returned to my world, Jeremy, only to leave again.‘Just where did we go wrong? I just want to love you, is that so difficult?’Madeline swallowed hard.She thought that the distance between them was growing, yet it had only been a few steps when the man suddenly strode after her to pull her into his embrace from behind.“Don’t go, Linnie.”He lifted his arm to wrap it around her neck as the other wrapped itself around her waist. His heavy desire and love for her were exploding within him.“You told me that you’ll love me no matter how I’ve changed. I feel the same, Linnie. As long as you’re still my Linnie, I will never let go until my dying breath.”Madeline’s tears trickled down the corner of her eyes, dripping onto the back of Jeremy’s hand.The searing droplets seeped through his skin and into
Madeline walked in. She was about to go upstairs when she suddenly heard Jeremy’s voice from the bathroom.“I’ve already died once. Do you think I care? Don’t tell me how to do things. Our relationship, if anything, is just business.”Madeline felt her heart clench at the reminder of his ‘death’.Yet what kind of ‘business’ was Jeremy talking about?Madeline turned around and walked toward the bathroom door.Jeremy’s raspy baritone voice sounded. “She’s my limit. Back off or there won’t be a negotiation at all.”Madeline had a subconscious feeling that the person Jeremy was talking about was her.Madeline did not want to eavesdrop on his phone call, but she could not seem to ignore the conversation.Just then, the bathroom door opened.Madeline looked up to meet Jeremy’s bottomless gaze. “Who were you calling, Jeremy? Did something happen?”“Don’t worry about it. It’s just work.” He brushed it off with a faint smile.Yet, the conversation had evidently nothing to do with wor