"It's not every day we get to see you, Mrs. Gibson. Please have a drink," said a woman with a touch of affluence, a stranger to Madeline. She held out a glass of wine.Catching the puzzled look in Madeline's eyes, the woman introduced herself."I'm Sarah Lundy. My husband is Carlsen Lundy, manager of the Gibson Group's Smart Home Business Department."Madeline understood that she was the evening's hostess. She offered a friendly smile but did not take the wine glass from Sarah.Catching Trevon's eye and seeing he was not going to step in, Madeline said apologetically, "I can't drink alcohol, but I'll gladly toast with some other drink."Sarah could not hide her surprise.At a dinner party, it was almost unheard of not to partake in a toast.She could not really do anything about it though. Trevon was several ranks above her husband in the corporate ladder, which pretty much made Madeline several ranks above herself. She was in no position to force Madeline to accept the toast.S
That line was a carbon copy of 'A little drink's fine, just drive slower afterward'.Both were equally dismissive of the value of life.Madeline finally understood why Aria and her son shrugged off the danger of tossing stuff from skyscrapers like it was nothing.It was their family's way.Sarah's expression darkened.She pieced it together. Aria was aiming for Madeline, using that moment to put her on the spot.Of all times to stir up trouble, she had to pick the moment Sarah was toasting Madeline. It was as if she was the one helping Aria stir up trouble.Sarah had no clue what Madeline was like, but she was crossing her fingers she was not the vindictive type.Otherwise, what would happen to her husband's prospects at the Gibson Group?Sarah was kicking herself for toasting to Madeline.Madeline shot Trevon a withering look.If he had not been so set on the dinner, she would not have been in that mess.All eyes were on Madeline, waiting to see her make a fool of herself.
Milton was no stranger to the power plays at social gatherings. The pressure to drink was just part of the game. At first, it had taken him some time to adjust.Aria had explained to him that in those circles, pushing someone to drink was all about asserting dominance. Eventually, he joined in, using his status to coax drinks out of others.Given his position, even someone like Madeline, or even Edith, could not easily refuse him. So, when Madeline turned her down and pulled out that pill, he saw it as a sign of disrespect.Milton spoke up, giving Trevon an easy out—a small gesture of goodwill. Deep down, he was testing Trevon, trying to gauge just how far their partnership could really go.Trevon shot Milton a look.He was still acting all high and mighty.Did that guy really think he was untouchable, clueless about the situation at Winchester?Milton should have known better after their last run-in. The deal was not about the Gibson Group groveling to Winchester. It was Winche
Milton left as quickly as he had appeared, not leaving Madeline any room to reject the gift.Aria was fuming in the car. "I went through so much trouble to get that makeup from France. It's a one-of-a-kind, limited edition! How could you just give it to Madeline?"It was not the makeup itself that was a big deal. It was the packaging. Crafted into a unique angel shape with pink crystals, it was the only set of its kind in the world.Aria had not even had the chance to brag about it to her friends.Milton's expression turned stern. If that set could curry favor with the Gibson Group, he would give away ten, a hundred sets without a second thought."Come on. No tears now. Remember that diamond ring you liked? We'll go pick it up soon."There it was, a dazzling 3-carat pear-shaped ring. It was a beauty, and a rare one at that.Aria had been eyeing it forever, but Milton had always played it cool, never giving in. When he finally caved, Aria's tears of frustration turned into tears
As Trevon's words hung in the air, Daniel felt his heart skip a beat as he drove the couple.He had gotten to know Madeline's ways recently.She was a kind soul if left alone.If she was crossed, she would not make a fuss. At most, she would throw a sharp word or two, mainly if it was about Trevon.One thing was for sure. Nobody could ever bring up the Sanders family, especially Lydia. That was a surefire way to see her turn frosty in a heartbeat.Sure enough, Madeline's expression chilled in an instant. "Of course we have much in common. How else could she have any excuse to swipe my stuff?"Trevon could sense a deep misunderstanding brewing between Madeline and Lydia."Lydia isn't like that."The Lydia he knew was always generous. Even when she butted heads with someone, she was the first to step back.How could she ever snatch something from Madeline?Madeline snickered coldly. "Looks like you don't really get Lydia."She waved the item in her hand. "Think Lydia's into pi
The next morning, Madeline was jolted awake by a phone call, still half-lost in her dreams."Hello, Mrs. Gibson. Your order has arrived."Madeline blinked in surprise. She had not ordered anything lately.Who delivered packages at the crack of dawn?With a frown, Madeline opened the door and was greeted by a small mountain of boxes, each one had a label that read 'For Madeline'.Trevon sauntered up, leaning against the doorframe with a casual air. "Check them out," he said coolly.Madeline eyed him, puzzled. "You got these for me?"Trevon just gave a noncommittal shrug, as if to say 'maybe'.Still confused, Madeline grabbed a pair of scissors and went to work on the boxes.The first one revealed a pink laptop, complete with a matching mouse.The second held a pink long dress, adorned with delicate flowers, reminiscent of the trendy styles from Tracy's boutique.One by one, Madeline tore through the boxes.Everything was pink.Skincare, clothes, household items—it was like
Trevon spent a long time that day just standing by the window, lost in thought.Madeline's rejection was both a shock and not. Deep down, he saw it coming.Trevon had hoped she would at least think it over, but she had turned him down flat, without hesitation. He pursed his lips together, a silent admission that winning her over would not be easy.When Madeline stepped out and saw him still rooted to that spot, she did not have much to say. She just mentioned she had to take care of something and would not be going to work."What's up?" Trevon asked, almost reflexively."Just a trip to the countryside," Madeline replied calmly.Madeline's brother had been kidnapped while they were visiting relatives with Cilix, and most of the clues were back at the village police station.She was determined to check things out and retrieve some documents.With a single nod, she brushed past him, leaving his words hanging in the air.Trevon's hands balled into fists.Daniel's knock on the doo
The 'files' turned out to be pretty scant. It was just an old photo of her brother and some investigation reports from the area, bus, and train stations on the day he disappeared.Asher sighed heavily. "I've kept an eye out for any similar missing persons cases around here over the years, but no luck."For years, there was nothing but silence. Either the kid was gone for good, or he was whisked off to who knew where.Back in the day, the police did not have the technology or the know-how, so anything could have happened.Deep down, Asher had a hunch the kid was still out there.A three-year-old boy who was easy to raise and with no past to remember was just the kind of kid that buyers would line up for.The problem was that finding him was like looking for a needle in a haystack.However, Madeline was determined to search for him no matter what."Asher, I need a copy of these files."Asher looked like he wanted to say something, maybe talk her out of it. "Madeline, it's been e