Caleb was not about to let that stick smack him. With a quick yank, he pulled York in front of him as a human shield.The stick landed with a heavy thud.York yelped in pain, setting Carmen off. She charged forward, but Yeneth was quick to block her.Everything erupted into chaos.Madeline's heart raced, and she was about to jump into the fight when a booming voice cut through the night."What's the ruckus about now?!"The cops they had called had shown up.Madeline let out a silent 'thank you'. They arrived just in time.The officers managed to break up the scuffle, and Carmen collapsed to the ground, wailing, "Why's my life so hard? I slave away for an old man by day, deal with a houseful at night, and the minute I sit down, my cheating daughter-in-law causes a scene with her lover. I just can't take it anymore."Yeneth, with Madeline's help, wiped away the blood on her face and nearly jumped back into the fight.Madeline held her steady. "Take a breath."She checked on Ca
The cops were no strangers to stubborn troublemakers, but someone that boldly defiant was a rare sight.Yeneth, irked by Carmen's condescending attitude, snapped back, "That place is mine! You're the ones who should be moving! I haven't even billed you for staying there the past few days!"Carmen was taken aback.She turned to York, bewildered, "You told me that was your place!"York, visibly irritated but trying to keep his cool, corrected her. "You misunderstood! I said I was the one who rented it!""Rented it, huh? Did you actually pay the rent or just a deposit?" Yeneth asked."What's it to you whether I rented it or you did? I've paid my share for the bills and the internet too."Yeneth just scoffed.Madeline thought to herself, 'So, this is the legendary freeloader trying to act tough.'The house was Yeneth's lease, so Carmen had no leg to stand on. They settled with Yeneth not making a big deal out of it, just asking for a payout of 750 dollars.They were all set to le
The moment Yeneth whipped out her phone to snap photos, Madeline was already one step ahead, recording everything on her phone. She captured the whole showdown, every move laid bare.Who threw the first punch? How did Sean's sneak attack on Caleb go down? What about the defense?The footage clearly showed Madeline's group defending themselves with no sign of going overboard.The injuries Carmen and Rebecca suffered were mostly from their own clumsy scuffle. As for York, well, Sean had only himself to blame for that wound.Holden confidently stated, "This video clearly shows that my clients didn't start the fight. In fact, it was the Lawson family that kept provoking them. I suspect York and his family had it out for my clients from the start."The officer, reviewing Madeline's video, turned to York and his family. "Anything to add?"Sean and Carmen's faces fell, their confidence slipping away.York glared at Madeline, his voice tinged with anger. "Madeline, how can you just film
Trevon marched into the police station, his steps firm, his anger clear.He yanked Madeline's hand away. "What in the world are you doing?"If he did not show up soon, were they going to end up in each other's arms?Madeline's hand throbbed from his tight grip, and she scowled with impatience. "I'm putting on pain relief cream! Can't you see?!""Is he so badly hurt or dying that you need to play nurse with him in front of everyone?"Trying to wriggle free without success, Madeline let out a mocking laugh. "He's not hurt down there, so what's the big deal about me treating him right here? Got a problem with that, Mr. Gibson?"Suddenly, all eyes darted to Trevon's backside.Fuming, Trevon wished he could just stitch her mouth shut.However, all he could do was glare calmly as everyone quickly looked away, feigning ignorance."Release me!" Madeline demanded again.Trevon glanced down, noticed her wrist turning pale from his grip, and hastily let go.Her wrist was marked with an
By the time the Lawsons returned to Yeneth's rental, she had nearly finished packing.Rebecca walked in, cheeks flushed, and bumped into Trevon, who was hauling boxes with a scowl."I can help," she offered timidly."Get lost," Trevon snapped.He was in a foul mood.Madeline had hopped into the car, clearly expecting him to do the heavy lifting.He was not just tired—it felt demeaning.Madeline had told him not to strain himself because of his injuries, which only soured his mood further.He was unyielding to Rebecca's offer of help.Rebecca, used to being the darling of the village and not accustomed to such harsh rejection, felt a sting of hurt and retreated to Carmen's embrace.Carmen immediately lashed out, "What's wrong with you? Rebecca's just trying to be nice, and you're being a complete jerk!"Who was Trevon to them, anyway? He had not even bothered to give them a second look.Madeline, with a baby on the way, was practically forbidden by Caleb to lift a finger.T
Two cars pulled up in the neighborhood where Madeline rented a place.Trevon had just found out that Madeline had been living on her own. "Why the heck did you go and rent a place?"Madeline shot him a look. "Mr. Gibson, have you forgotten we're getting a divorce?"Trevon's expression soured for a moment before he retorted, "Didn't I let you have the house?"Not in the mood for a pointless argument, Madeline stepped out of the car with Yeneth following her to unlock the door.Trevon frowned, turning to Daniel. "What's got her so fired up?"Daniel suppressed a chuckle. "Mrs. Gibson's been a bit different lately. Maybe you should try sweet-talking her?""Sweet-talk her?" Trevon let out a derisive laugh and got out of the car.Daniel adjusted his glasses and followed suit.Outside, a few bodyguards were ready and waiting."I appreciate you guys putting in the extra hours," Madeline said.The bodyguards grinned. "No trouble at all."They were just moving stuff. Since they were
Trevon kept his cool. "The cops called me."Madeline frowned. "Why would they call you?"She was not a kid. It was not like the police needed to call her parents every time she stepped foot in the station.Trevon shot her a look. "Had you even kept track of how many times you've dialed 911 lately? They were worried about you. Every time you called, they let me know."Was that so?Something did not sit right with Madeline, but she could not quite figure it out.Trevon let out a scoff. "What, you think I'm sitting around digging up your location? Do I look bored?"Madeline's eyes dropped.He had a point.He did not care about her, especially not when Lydia was in the picture. He probably found it a nuisance to get calls about her.If he had not been concerned she would stir up trouble, he would not have bothered with the police station.Madeline did not feel like talking anymore. She turned away, resting her head against the car door, and closed her eyes in silence.She was j
Despite her caution, Madeline insisted on taking Trevon for an X-ray. It was only after confirming there were no internal injuries that Madeline allowed herself to relax.Madeline finished bandaging his wounds and paused, her eyes sincere. "Mr. Gibson, you've saved my life this time. I can't thank you enough."Her words came straight from the heart. Without his protection, that accident could have been disastrous.She could have taken her chances, but her unborn child? That was another story. She was deeply grateful he had saved her, and more importantly, her baby."I'll do whatever it takes to keep our issues from affecting the Gibson Group. Even after we split, I'll be there if you need me" she promised.Trevon's brow creased in frustration. "I didn't save you just so you'd owe me something."It all happened so fast, and he did not have time to think. Before she knew it, he was there, shielding her with his own body.Madeline looked at him squarely. "No matter your reasons, yo