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
Messages from Aaron and Yeneth pinged onto Madeline's phone back-to-back.Aaron: [Hey, how's the scene coming along? If you can, dial up the details. We need it to be top-notch for the showdown.]Yeneth: [Lydia's scene is in, and it's pretty slick. What's your status? You've gotta outdo her!]Madeline kept it brief, shooting back just an "Ok" emoji.Yeneth could tell Madeline was playing her cards close to her chest, but she could not help feeling a bit relieved. [We weren't even going to wait for you, but Lydia's the one who piped up. You don't think she's up to something, do you?]Madeline, not one for many words in a message, actually responded, [Guess I owe her one, then.]She took a moment to eye her nearly complete masterpiece, her face a mask of cool determination.Lydia was angling to make herself indispensable to Skylandia.Madeline was having none of it.She really did not need to flaunt her stuff in front of her. Madeline would make sure she got a front-row seat to
It was Lydia. Madeline was not in the mood to talk. She hit 'end call' without a second thought.Lydia just would not quit calling. It was like she would keep at it forever unless Madeline picked up.Finally, Madeline hit the answer button, a bit miffed. "What's up?"Lydia's voice, full of self-pity, came through at once. "Madeline, why were you ignoring my calls?""Just spit it out, will you?"Lydia was taken aback by Madeline's blunt talk, almost wanting to end the call right there. However, she had a plan and kept her cool. "You got my birthday invite, right? You better be there.""Considering the mess you're in with the Skylandia project, you're still up for throwing a bash?"A pause from Lydia, then a light chuckle. "Maybe Trevon set it up knowing I was down. Don't sweat it, Madeline."Hearing the triumph in Lydia's voice, Madeline's lips curled into a slow smile. "Worry not, I'll be there."Lydia had not expected such an easy yes, and it threw her off. Before she could s