With just one sentence, all eyes in the room turned in anticipation.Stephen quirked an eyebrow. "Oh? Mrs. Gibson, do you know any masters of art restoration?"Madeline, having spoken, immediately regretted her words and chuckled awkwardly. "There are plenty of geniuses out there. I'm sure Mr. Ferguson will find someone capable of fixing the painting.""Here's hoping," Stephen replied with a hint of earnestness. "If the painting can be restored, I'd be happy to give it to her outright."Madeline felt a twitch in her forehead, a silent reminder to herself not to get too eager.Trevon cut in. "Let's check out the items first, shall we?"Stephen let out a quiet sigh of disappointment and gestured for them to take a seat off to the side."I've acquired some pretty interesting pieces just yesterday, and that's why I've called you here to have a look."As he spoke, he had someone bring in the items.Madeline's attention was instantly captured by a painting that had just been brought
Trevon's frown deepened. The mega-deal they had been hashing out since Stephen's return was worth billions. Stephen had always been dissatisfied with the profit-sharing ratio, demanding an additional five percentage points., and now he was suddenly willing to give up three?Why would he bend over backward just for a painting?His eyes narrowed, studying Stephen's casual demeanor.Stephen, aware of the scrutiny, offered a light smile and turned to Madeline, "So, Mrs. Gibson, what do you say? Will you take a shot at it?"Madeline's gaze drifted to Trevon, seeking an unspoken counsel.Trevon cleared his throat and said, "You decide."Stephen was as sly as they come.The deal between the two families had been dragging on forever, but it was bound to be sealed sooner or later.Now Stephen was dangling this in front of Madeline to get her to bite, and Trevon was not in a position to comment.Madeline was at a loss for words. How was she supposed to decide? Did she even have a clue h
Trevon narrowed his eyes. "Why do I get the feeling you're a little too interested in my wife?"Stephen’s lips curled into a sly smile. “You know what they say—behind every great man is an even greater woman. Your wife’s got both brains and beauty. I have to say, I’m impressed.”No guy could just brush off that kind of jab.Trevon's hand clenched on his knee, but he managed to keep his cool."Your parents would never be cool with you marrying someone who's been down the aisle before."Stephen burst out laughing. "Mr. Gibson, you've got us Fergusons all wrong. With your wife's status, it wouldn't matter if she was in her second marriage or even if she brought a kid into the picture. She'd be welcomed into the Ferguson family with open arms."Trevon's expression turned to ice. "So that's why you've been testing her, to see what she's capable of? What's it to you if you know more about her? She's married to me. She's my wife for life."He said it like he was trying to convince Step
That was the pact Yeneth and Yahir had struck up the day before.Madeline was at a loss for words. She knew Yahir very well. The guy was a certified heartthrob, always with a crowd of girls around him. Yeneth's pact might be tougher to keep than she thought.Yeneth laughed off the concern. "Don't worry. There's nothing I can't handle."Fair enough. Madeline could not argue with that confidence."I'm still over at Oralia at the Fergusons' place. Swing by and get me?" She had not intended to head to Silver Leaf Studio at all, but Yeneth's request changed her plans. She had to be there for her.When Madeline finally caught up with Yeneth, she found out that her friend had already started her workday bright and early."Any nasty rumors floating around the office?" Yeneth brushed off the question with a wave of her hand. "Sure, there's been some chatter. But it's all trash talk about York. I even scored some sympathy points." Turns out, nobody expected her and Madeline to still be
Madeline gave Lydia a quick look, cool as a cucumber.Right then, Madeline almost wished Lydia was actually expecting. That would light a fire under Trevon to get their divorce wrapped up quickly.Lydia's smugness, though? That was totally uncalled for."Mrs. Yagle likes you, which is lucky for you and for me. Good luck," Madeline said with a hint of irony, then she turned on her heel and walked away without another word.She caught a glimpse of Lydia, stone-faced as she went back to Riley, but her smile snapped back on like nothing happened.Yeneth was biting her lip with worry. "She's so close with your mother-in-law. What if people get the wrong idea? That can't be good for you, right?"Madeline just shook her head. "Doesn't bother me."What was so great about hanging out with Riley, anyway? All she did was boss her around, treat her like a maid. That was the real insult—not just to her pride, but it was also running her ragged."Just ignore them," she said.Then a server p
Trevon shot a quick look at Madeline. Her blank face sent an odd pang through his chest.He looked down, gathering his thoughts, but before he could say anything, Riley was already there, shooting Madeline a death glare.Madeline just stood there, silent.Riley brushed past Madeline, grabbed Edith's hand, and said, "Mom, why didn't you give me a heads-up about your visit?"Madeline stumbled from the shove, and Trevon's reflexes kicked in; he reached out to catch her.Madeline's first instinct was to jerk away from his touch, but she toned down her reaction, mindful of the public eye, and just subtly shifted away without a fuss.To Lydia, it looked like Madeline had been nudged and then played it up, acting like she had fallen into Trevon's arms and was too clingy to let go.A shadow flickered in Trevon's eyes as he clenched the pearl-encrusted clutch in his hand a little tighter.Edith was not at all pleased with how Riley had interacted with Lydia. She gave Riley a frosty look
Stephen's face soured in an instant. He forced a smile and said, "Come on, what are you talking about? If anyone's going to dance with you first, it's gotta be me, your big bro." Sadie was not having any of it. "Bro, you're hardly ever here. You don't even know the local moves. Trevon's got this."Stephen's eyebrows knitted together in a silent warning.Sadie pretended not to notice and turned to Trevon with a smile, "Hey Trevon, could you help me out here?"She seemed oblivious to the fact that Trevon was off the market, his wife standing just a stone's throw away.The smile slowly drained from Edith's face.Before Trevon could even get a word in, Stephen grabbed Sadie's arm. "She's just kidding around, you know how kids are. We've got to head out and celebrate Wasyl's big day. Catch you later!"Without waiting for a response, he whisked Sadie off.Edith shook her head as she watched them go. Kids these days...She bit her tongue, instead turning to Trevon with a suggestion,
Madeline tensed for a split second."Don't worry, it's just a blackout," Trevon reassured her, patting her back.It was not fear that had made her stiffen, just a knee-jerk reaction.They were lucky to have moved aside earlier. Guided by memory, Trevon led her to a nearby pillar to lean on.Caleb's voice cut through the dark. "We've lost power. Please stay calm, everyone. The backup generators will kick in soon."The lights flickered back to life shortly after his announcement, and the music began to play once more.As her eyes adjusted, Madeline's gaze met Caleb's across the room. She offered him a small, reassuring smile, which he returned with a slight nod.Then, suddenly, her view was blocked by a large hand, and she spun around."What the heck?" Madeline demanded, yanking his hand away.Trevon's eyes were soft as he looked down at her. "Didn't want you to be dazzled by the sudden light," he said quietly.Madeline was fuming. She stomped on his foot, hard, and spun around