Madeline was not new to the Crystal River Clubhouse. It was the usual hangout for the rich kids of Redenbaugh City.Today, Trevon had reserved the whole place just for Lydia's birthday party, and the bill for that alone was through the roof—over ten million.Starting at the entrance, the place was decked out with flowers, pink roses rippling in the autumn wind, creating waves of breathtaking beauty. She knew pink roses stood for being touched, a love declaration, symbolizing first love.Trevon was celebrating the sweet memories of his first love with Lydia. A tribute, a remembrance. So what was with his constant promises not to divorce her? Was he just trying to keep her calm, to prevent her from causing a scene, not to mess with what he had with Lydia? She had already let go. Why was he still messing with her feelings?Lydia, in her dress and diamond tiara, looked stunning, like a princess. His princess. It was a gesture that was truly awe-inspiring. It was the kind of thing that
It was the story of Trevon's car wreck from three years back.Phrases like "severe crash," "unconscious," and "vegetative state" stood out starkly.Next to the text were two photos. One showed Lydia at the airport, poised to leave the country, and the other was her international plane ticket.The crowd was thrown for a loop by these jarring images, unsure of their significance.A few quick thinkers blurted out, "Hold up, are you telling me Lydia booked it out of the country the moment she heard Mr. Gibson was in a crash and went comatose?""And she's got the gall to flaunt their romance here?""Man, if Mr. Gibson got wind of this, would he still roll out the red carpet for her birthday?""Seriously, how can she even talk about love? It's like that saying, 'When trouble hits, love flies out the window.'""You're way out of line!""Ahem, you know what I mean!"The conference room was buzzing with chatter as everyone pointed fingers at Lydia.Lydia's face turned ghostly white a
It all happened in a flash. By the time the crowd caught up, Lydia had already taken a dive, crashing with a loud "bang" in the middle of the hall, leaving everyone around her stunned and speechless.Madeline instinctively shielded her stomach and stepped back.Skylar, oblivious to everything else, dashed to Lydia's side. "Lydia, Lydia, are you okay?"Lydia was in pain all over, her face, her body, everywhere.Ignoring her pain, she clutched Skylar's hand. "Mom... hurry..."Skylar's mind went blank, but Lydia's plea snapped her back to reality. "Yes, yes, we need to get you to the hospital."Lydia shot her a fierce look, her voice low and strained. "Blood..."Skylar paused, then it clicked: Lydia was determined to see her plan through, to set Madeline up. How could she fake bleeding without anyone catching on though?As Skylar hesitated, the crowd closed in."Are you alright?""Someone call 911, quick!"With a grimace, Skylar ripped open the fake blood bag hidden on Lydia. A
Madeline had not seen the slap coming, so she was caught off guard. By the time she tried to duck, it was already too late.The slap was a shock, leaving her head ringing.It was a while before she could make out any sounds."Coming or not?"Madeline strained to hear and finally understood Riley's words. She then saw the ambulance crew lifting Lydia onto a stretcher.Riley, worried about Lydia's unborn baby, was set to follow and made sure Madeline was coming along. They would get to the bottom of what happened on the way.The crowd watched Madeline with eyes full of pity.Everyone pretty much figured Madeline had orchestrated today's drama, but she had not said a word, had she? Lydia was the one who fell, her own guilt tripping her up. They were pinning this on Madeline too?Madeline looked down, her lips twisting into a wry smile. Classic Riley, always playing the same old game. This time, Madeline had no choice—she had to go along.Without another word, Madeline climbed int
A knot of anxiety clenched in Skylar's stomach.Severe bleeding? That was not part of the plan. Was Lydia okay there? She pressed her face against the window, straining to glimpse inside the operating room, but the view was frustratingly obscure, sending her thoughts into a tailspin.After a few restless laps in front of the OR, Skylar could not stand it anymore and approached Riley. "Mrs. Gibson, shouldn't we get Trevon here for Lydia?"They needed Trevon to see just how cruel Madeline could be.It was a bummer that from the moment the party kicked off, Trevon's phone was a no-go.Riley pressed her lips together. "Trevon's tied up with company stuff, can't get through to him right now."Skylar blinked, thrown for a loop. No Trevon? How were they supposed to handle this mess?"What do we do now?"Skylar was seriously freaking out. She was also toying with the idea of calling Cilix for backup.Riley shot her a look, her voice frosty, "Chill, I've got Lydia's back."Everyone kn
Madeline's head turned slowly, her eyes darting between Skylar and Riley. One bore a grudge deep enough to chill bones, the other scorned her for abandonment. Words of defense would be like shouting into the wind—pointless. Why bother playing their game? One was dead set on snagging a spot in the Gibson family, the other obsessed with the dream of a grandchild. She might as well wish them luck—they would need it."Mr. Security Guard, that's quite the grip you've got," Madeline said coolly, pulling her gaze away. The guards flinched and loosened their hold. "Our apologies, Mrs. Gibson." Now that they'd let up, they couldn't very well keep pinning her down. They let go and even took a couple of steps back, almost sheepishly.Madeline didn't waste a second. She bolted upright and took off. "She's making a break for it! Grab her!" Skylar's voice pierced the air. The guards hesitated, their reluctance giving Madeline her chance to slip away.Riley's voice cut through the commotion, icy a
"Mr. Gibson, we've got a problem."Trevon had been deep in talks about a new deal with Stephen when Mr. Harris burst in, phone in hand. They were supposed to hit up Lydia's birthday party today, but Stephen had called an audible, demanding a sit-down on the deal today of all days.Trevon was not keen on the party anyway, so he had rolled with it. He had made it clear to Mr. Harris - no distractions.Mr. Harris leaned in and spilled the news in a hush.Trevon's face creased with concern, and he was on his feet in a flash. "Mr. Ferguson, something's come up. We'll have to call it a day."Stephen's eyebrow arched. "I'm off to the States tomorrow. If we don't lock this down now, it'll have to wait till I'm back."Trevon's lips thinned, but his mind was made up. "We'll sort out the deal. I'll come to the U.S. and we'll talk."Stephen looked taken aback but stepped aside, making no move to stop Trevon as he strode out.Once Trevon was out of sight, Stephen turned to his secretary Cha
Caleb, clearly annoyed, said, "Madeline's not feeling great. I'm gonna take her to get patched up."Skylar spat out bitterly, "She doesn't even have a scratch. What's she need patching up for?"Cilix chimed in, "We've gotta clear this up. You don't want to be blamed for something you didn't do, right Madeline?"Caleb furrowed his brow and looked down at Madeline, concern etched on his face.Madeline's eyelashes gave a tiny flutter as she murmured, "Caleb, let me down."She was curious to see how Cilix would sort this mess out.With no other option, Caleb gently set her in a chair and had a nurse fetch some ointment, which he tenderly dabbed on her wounds.Skylar snorted, tossed out the phrase "dainty princess" like it was an insult, and strutted back to Cilix's side.As Caleb treated Madeline's scrapes, he whispered, "Anything else hurts? I could get my uncle to check on you, you know?"Madeline gave a faint shake of her head.Just a sore face and knees, nothing more."Maybe