Madeline was at a loss for words. Where on earth did Sadie pick up these drinking table one-liners?Stephen shot her a look, thinking she had spoken out of turn.Sadie just shrugged, giving Madeline a challenging look.Madeline grabbed the water, gave it a quick sniff, and realized it was nothing but plain water. She took a cautious sip."So, Ms. Ferguson, do you believe us now?"Sadie was too quick; Lydia did not have a chance to intervene. Seeing Madeline take a drink, Lydia did not want to cause a scene, so she just clenched her jaw and kept quiet.Sadie seemed a bit more at ease after Madeline drank. She turned to Stephen and said, "Happy now? I'm out of here."Stephen sighed and trailed after her.Madeline glanced at Lydia but did not bother with small talk. She just took her cup and headed off to find Yeneth.Lydia watched her go, unsure whether to follow or stay put. By the time she decided, Trevon was nowhere to be seen.Yeneth was full and was half-heartedly chatting
Who knew where Lydia got that drug, but it packed a punch.Just a tiny sip and it hit her like a freight train.Madeline, leaning on Trevon for support, stumbled out the Jabs family's front door, her mind already foggy, just going with Trevon's guiding forceHer thoughts were turning to mush, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through. The baby inside her was her biggest worry. So, even though every touch from Trevon was hard to resist, she kept a sliver of her mind clear.Once they were away from the crowd, Trevon scooped her up in his arms.Madeline did not fight it; she clung to his neck, breathing deeply, trying to fend off the heat raging through her. The heat came in waves. Feeling the discomfort in her belly, she grew more scared for her baby and tears silently fell.Trevon's heart clenched, and he whispered, "Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."Madeline just blinked in surprise, biting back any sound.Caleb rushed out after them. "What's going on?"Trevon
Madeline's eyes widened as she grasped his meaning."No, I can't do that," she said quickly, her body instinctively pulling away.The baby was only twelve weeks along, still so fragile. What if something went wrong? Her rejection felt like a dagger to Trevon's heart. Did she prefer Caleb, the outsider? The mere thought made Trevon's blood boil with a murderous rage. He would never allow it. No one else was going to lay a hand on Madeline. She belonged to him."If we don't do this, you won't be able to find peace," he said, his voice firm.Trevon was untying the strap at his collar and, with a mischievous glint in his eye, gently wrapped the strap around Madeline's wrists despite her look of utter disbelief."Don't worry, this will be over before you know it.""Uh…" Madeline tried to speak, but her words were stuck in her mouth...It took a while, but the room finally fell silent.Madeline caught her breath, her eyes blankly fixed on the ceiling, her mind a million miles away.
Trevon's whispers were relentless, his warm breath washing over Madeline in waves, leaving her feeling as flustered as an overcooked shrimp.Madeline could not stand it any longer. Without a second thought, her hand flew out and smacked him across the face. She was mortified, her hand acting with a mind of its own. The sound of the slap echoed sharply, and Trevon's cheek flushed a bright red.Startled, Madeline quickly cupped his face. "I... I didn't mean to. Are you... okay?"The vivid handprint on his cheek was a stark reminder of her strength. Guilt washed over her.Seizing her hand, Trevon's voice was laced with bitterness. "Lately, I've been way too lenient with you. You're running wild!"Madeline recoiled, too scared to utter a word.With a cold huff, Trevon patted her head, not too gently but not too harshly either. "I'll let that slap slide.""But..." His hand drifted down, gently tilting Madeline's chin up, compelling her to look into his eyes, "You still owe me for las
Once Trevon had gone, Madeline stayed slumped on the hospital bed, lost in thought. His parting words kept replaying in her mind. He meant them.Of that, Madeline was now utterly convinced. However, she was more puzzled than ever. Trevon did not seem like himself. What has changed?Felicia entered with an older woman in tow, both wearing looks of concern. "Mrs. Gibson, are you alright?" Felicia asked.Madeline snapped out of her reverie and managed a weary smile. "I'm okay."Felicia examined Madeline closely, relieved to see that, apart from fatigue, there were no signs of illness."Madam Gibson heard you were hospitalized. She wanted to come by, but she didn't want to stir up any fuss during the birthday festivities, so she decided against it."She later found out about the drugging incident and that Trevon was handling it. She stayed away to spare Madeline any potential embarrassment.However, that was something Felicia would not say outright to Madeline."Oh, by the way, Mrs
The Skylandia crew paused their bustling work as she entered, all eyes on her.Madeline brushed past the onlookers, her gaze cutting through the crowd until it locked onto Lydia, who sat there with an icy stare. She strode over with purpose.Lydia's heart sank as she caught sight of Madeline's stormy face. "Madeline..."Before she could get a word out, Madeline's hand cracked across her cheek. The slap rang out, leaving the office dead silent. Everyone was too shocked to even whisper, hands clamped over their mouths.Lydia clutched her face, her eyes wide with shock. She never saw it coming—not here, not in front of everyone."Madeline, what the heck?"Madeline's laugh was cold as ice. "What am I doing? Maybe I should just lay out all your dirty little secrets, huh?"The crowd perked up, eager for a juicy story."You!" Lydia's voice trembled under the weight of all those staring eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about. You're making this up!"She should not have bother
"I said I'd quit, didn't I? So why is Madeline still on my case?" Lydia cried out. "She slapped me right there in front of everyone. How am I supposed to look my coworkers in the eye now? I'm totally humiliated!" Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.Trevon did not even look up until he was done with his paperwork. "Madeline showed up at the office?" he asked, finally giving Lydia his attention. Lydia was fuming. Was that all he cared about after her tearful tale?Trevon cracked a slight smile and said coolly, "Didn't you ask to keep it from Madeline for now? Besides, you're heading off to Itania soon. You won't have to deal with office folks much longer. Just tie up any loose ends with your work and have Camden find someone to take over your duties."Lydia was floored. She had expected Trevon to be upset, to give Madeline a piece of his mind for causing a scene, but he seemed totally unfazed. He was different now."Trevon, there's something I need to talk to you about," Lydia
Madeline's fingers trembled as she held the invitation. Trevon was throwing a birthday party for Lydia himself? What was he playing at?He was telling her they would not split up, yet here he was, planning a secret party for Lydia, showering her with affection. How could anyone be so two-faced and nauseating?The memory of Trevon's touch from that night sent a wave of queasiness through Madeline, and she bolted for the bathroom. She retched until there was nothing left, but the sick feeling wouldn't fade. And it wasn't just her stomach; her whole body felt wrong.The touch that had once made her skin tingle with embarrassment now filled her with disgust. She hated his touch, and even more, she hated that it had once made her heart skip a beat. She turned on the shower, letting the scalding water cascade over her...Once Madeline had regained her composure and stepped out of the bathroom, her clothes were drenched, and her skin was flushed from the intense scrubbing, some spots even