Trevon furiously glared at Madeline as she recoiled. "You need to chill out."Trevon squinted and leaned in closer, his breath quickening. "You try chilling out."Madeline was at a loss for words, pressing her hand against his chest, "Back off. I'm going to get Mr. Jones and we're getting you to a hospital."Her cool hand seemed to quell the heat raging through him, even if just a little. Trevon sighed in relief, the coolness a balm to his fevered state.The harmless prank had spiraled out of control, and Trevon found himself inching closer to Madeline.Her cheeks turned a rosy hue from his warm breath, and with a hint of urgency, she pleaded, "Keep it together and step back, will you?"She struggled to free herself from his hold and dashed for the door.Trevon, clinging to the last threads of sanity, did not pursue her, but watched with eyes ablaze as she reached for the exit, his throat working nervously. What was he to do about Madeline? He had not figured that out yet. M
Trevon's kiss was forceful, his hand boldly roaming her body as if he owned her. The drug messed with his head, but he felt more awake than he had ever been.Trevon's feelings for Madeline ran deeper than any fleeting effect of a drug. He yearned for her, truly and deeply, in a way that was nothing like his regrettable one-night stand with Lydia. As he stood close to Madeline, there was no resistance in his heart or body. There was only an aching need to be near her, a sensation he had never experienced before.They were married, after all. Intimacy should have been a given.However, Madeline's hesitation was clearly tied to his past mistake with Lydia. He had ended things with Lydia and was determined to make it up to Madeline.Lost in those thoughts, Trevon reached for the straps of Madeline's dress. However, Madeline was in a panic. She scrambled for something, and her fingers closed around the handle of a fruit knife. With a surge of desperate courage, she plunged the knife
Madeline's eyes widened in shock.She had braced herself for the consequences of her actions, ready to face the wrath of the Gibson family—be it a scolding, a beating, or even a lawsuit. She was all set to tell the truth, but Trevon had covered for her, claiming it was an accident.Was he really protecting her? It did not add up.Confusion clouded Madeline's mind, persisting even as the paramedics brought Trevon into the ambulance....Trevon's injury was serious, but luckily it was just his buttock, and with the knife out, his life was not in danger. Still, the blood loss and pain left him looking rather pale.The doctor recommended a two-night hospital stay to monitor the wound and prevent infection.While Madeline went to take his medication, Edith, though clearly worried, could not hide her frustration."Be honest with me. Did you hurt yourself on purpose to avoid being with Madeline?"Trevon pursed his lips, finding himself at a loss for words. How could he explain that i
Madeline's eyes snapped open. "Trevon!"His voice came through clenched teeth. "I'm okay."She looked toward him and saw Trevon, frozen, bracing against the bed in the dark. She switched on the lights and rushed to his side.However, Trevon, through gritted teeth, commanded, "Don't move!"Madeline steadied him, careful not to make any sudden moves.That was not the first time she had seen him like that. Trevon looked worse the first time he tried to get out of bed after his accident.They both knew the drill by then. Stand still and wait for the sharp pain to ebb away.Eventually, Trevon stopped grimacing, and Madeline gently guided him forward.Watching him hesitate with each step, Madeline bit her lip. "Is it really bad?"Trevon frowned. "Why don't you get stabbed and find out?"The injury was on his backside, pulling at the wound with nearly every move. It was slightly better than the post-accident rehab, but it still hurt like hell."Don't you know your own strength?" he
Lydia had only just learned of Trevon's accident that morning, and she dashed to his side the moment she got the news."Oh Trevon, the thought of you getting hurt scared me to death! You're not seriously hurt, are you?"In a swift move, Lydia grabbed the bowl right out of Madeline's hands. "What kind of care have you been giving Trevon, letting him get hurt like this? We don't need you here. Off you go!"Madeline could not suppress a chuckle at Lydia's domineering act. If Lydia wanted to play nurse, Madeline was more than happy to take a break.She handed over the bowl without a fuss and quietly enjoyed her breakfast off to the side.Felicia, on the other hand, was nervous. She had been hoping for a thaw in the frosty relationship between Trevon and Madeline.Felicia frowned as she snapped, "Who are you? You have no right to talk to Mrs. Gibson that way. Leave now, or I'll have to call security!"Lydia shot Felicia a look of sheer contempt. "A mere nanny daring to interfere in t
Madeline watched Lydia's departure with a flicker of surprise.Frankly, she had not seen that coming—Trevon's harsh treatment of Lydia.No strangers were in the room, so there was no need for pretense.Was that a show for Felicia? Hardly.Felicia was like a mother to Trevon, sure to shield him from Edith's scrutiny.Was he putting on that act for her?Madeline chuckled to herself. It was totally unnecessary.The contract she had drafted in a moment of anger then seemed pointless. If Trevon wanted to be all lovey-dovey with Lydia, Madeline could not stop him.Why stress over it and invite more headaches?She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and met Trevon's searching look with a blank expression, gesturing to the mess on the floor."You still want this?"Trevon's insides twisted with discomfort, and he muttered, "Let's get it cleaned up."Felicia seemed to want to say something but was at a loss for words. After tidying up, she made a swift exit.Trevon pulled out his
The internet was ablaze with chatter, and somehow, a single dress had become the talk of the town, casting a dark cloud over the Sanders Group. Negative buzz was the last thing they needed.In just a few hours, their website and stores were hit with a wave of returns. Customers had worn the dress once, only to bring it back with the price tag still attached.That was not just embarrassing—it was a direct hit to the month's sales figures. With the company on the brink of going public, the stakes were high. Cilix was feeling the heat.However, calling Madeline? That was unexpected.Madeline let the phone ring, her focus unbroken until the final stroke of her sketch was complete. Only then did she casually return the call after passing her work to the Skylandia team.Cilix was fuming, his mood as stormy as his expression.He had already tried damage control, instructing Lydia to buy the problematic dress. However, getting through to the Silver Leaf Studio was like talking to a brick
Madeline replied with an icy voice. "Hello. What's going on?"Cilix was bewildered.When he was younger, he had held Madeline close just as much as he had Bella. Madeline's fondness for him was every bit as strong.However, at some point, things changed, and Madeline started to pull away.Her once playful and affectionate tone turned distant and aloof. He could not help but wonder if he had been too lenient with Bella, letting her lead Madeline astray.Bella had snuck off to give Madeline lessons, and when he had asked what she had been teaching, Bella, who had always been so compliant, had suddenly gone silent.To that day, he still did not know what Bella had taught Madeline in secret. Maybe Bella had been plotting all along to sabotage his relationship with his daughter. It was clear then that Bella had drifted away from him long before, and everything he did afterward was just to protect himself.Bella's downfall was not his fault, it was just destiny.Shaking off those t