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
Madeline barely gave Trevon a glance before her eyes landed on Riley.Riley's eyes flashed with shock, and he snapped, "What's with that look? Don't you think you deserved that? You're plotting against Lydia, but the worst thing you did was to ignore the Gibson family's legacy! Two slaps is letting you off easy.""Today, you're going to kneel and pray for the kid!"Madeline let out a soft laugh. "Me, a killer, praying for blessings? You're not worried that'll jinx the kid's chances of a do-over?"Riley paused, his face darkening again.Skylar burst into sobs. "There! You've confessed! Trevon, you heard her! You have to get justice for Lydia's baby!"Trevon's frown deepened.He ignored Skylar's tears and fixed his gaze on Madeline, his voice low and serious. "What are you talking about?""Mr. Harris, take Mrs. Gibson home," he ordered.Mr. Harris hurried over to Madeline, reaching out to assist her.Madeline stepped aside, dodging his touch.Skylar's voice pierced the air, "N
Lydia's tears fell steadily. "You're not the one bleeding, so of course you can't feel my pain!""Do you have any idea? When I was bleeding, I felt my baby slipping away from me, little by little. It's a pain that rips your soul to shreds!"Lydia clutched at her chest, as if the pain was too much to bear.Trevon frowned slightly, a sign that he couldn't truly grasp the depth of her anguish.Lydia's eyes were stormy with grief and anger, a stark contrast to the calm concern etched on his face."Try to stay calm, Lydia. You need to think about your health," he urged softly."Name your price. Whatever compensation you want, it's yours."Her gaze snapped up, fierce and unyielding. "I want Madeline to pay—an eye for an eye!""I shed lots of blood; I demand she does the same!"He had never seen her so raw, so untamed. He understood though—losing a child could push anyone to the edge.Yet, he had to be the voice of reason."It was a tragic accident, Lydia. You can't pin this on Mad
Trevon stepped out into the cool night air, leaving the hospital behind him.Mr. Harris was there to meet him, "We've managed to keep a lid on the birthday party and Miss Lydia's tumble. Mrs. Lowe was making a scene, demanding justice against Mrs. Gibson, but she calmed down and was sent home.""Mrs. Yagle left a word for you. She wants you to wrap things up here and then swing by the old house."Trevon gave a noncommittal hum, sliding into the car and massaging the tension between his eyebrows. "Where's Madeline?"Peering at him through the rearview mirror, Mr. Harris replied, "Mrs. Gibson slipped away while Mr. Jabs was getting his car."Trevon's frown deepened.Mr. Harris hurried to explain, "She hitched a ride with Mr. Ferguson to the Crystal River Hotel."Trevon's face darkened. "Why's he butting in?"Mr. Harris did not have an answer. From what he had heard, Stephen had merely helped Madeline with a hotel booking and then took off. Probably just lending a hand.Trevon's
Trevon left the hotel and drove back to the Gibson family's stately home.Riley was slumped in the living room, struggling to keep his eyes open, when he finally saw his son stroll in."What took you so long?"Trevon dropped onto the couch without a word, "Out with it. Why did you call me back here?"Riley's brow furrowed as she shot him a piercing look. "What's this 'I don't know' act? We're talking about Lydia's miscarriage. What's your game plan here?"Trevon glanced up, his voice cool and detached. "Like I said, it's none of your business. Drop it.""It is my business!" Riley's voice spiked with intensity. "Don't think you can fool me with your schemes.""You're planning to pay off the Sanders family, aren't you? As some kind of settlement?"Trevon remained silent.Riley slid into the seat beside him, her tone incredulous. "Have you lost your mind? This is the Sanders' mess, not the Gibsons'. If anyone should be coughing up cash, it's Madeline. Our family's money shouldn't
That batch of red wine did not look too strong, but it packed a punch.As the trio kept drinking, they slowly started to feel the buzz.Yeneth, glass in hand, her cheeks a rosy red, ranted, "Don't employees' lives count for anything? Overtime, day in and day out! It's enough to wear out a horse!"That darn Camden, always harping on about performance, about profits! Is game development just about the bottom line? What happened to the heart? Rubbish!"For a moment, she thought she saw Camden's face, and in a fit of anger, Yeneth tried to slap it away, nearly tumbling into her wine glass instead.Madeline, startled, rushed to steady her.Yeneth, still wobbly, stood up on her own, fixing Trevon with a steely gaze and said icily, "You're just another greedy capitalist."Trevon sat there, calm and collected, but his delayed movements and the occasional glint of bewilderment in his eyes betrayed his inebriation to Madeline.When Yeneth spoke up, he turned his head slowly, locking eyes
Madeline, caught up in the conversation with Caleb and Yeneth, turned around in shock at Trevon's question.He had just declared he would not touch a drop, and he was suddenly reaching for the wine?However, she let it go without a question.The red wine was smooth and inviting. If he felt like drinking, why not?Trevon grunted a greeting into his phone. "Mr. Caleb Jabs."Caleb snapped out of his reverie, returning the greeting with a subdued nod, his gaze deepening.Yeneth, caught between awkwardness and concern, glanced at Caleb. She was about to speak when a glamorous doctor in a white coat appeared beside him on the screen.The doctor, Camila Jervis, peered at the screen, her smile teasing. "Mr. Caleb Jabs, are you chatting with your girlfriend?"Two women were on the screen, leaving it unclear whom she meant.Caleb shook his head, offering no explanation, and instead asked, "Dr. Jervis, what's up?"Camila arched an eyebrow, not prying further. "The professor's ready to s
Yahir sipped his cola, feeling utterly dejected.He had bolted from the Lewis family feast, even at the risk of getting caught, just to pocket two bottles of Lafite.They were not the prized '1982' edition, but they were still pretty decent.His mom's constant marriage talk was a drag, but her taste in wine was impeccable. He was all set for a night of no-holds-barred drinking with Trevon.However, Trevon dragged him over to Madeline's, and under the pretext of her pregnancy, confiscated all the wine.Then, it sat tauntingly in the wine cabinet.Yahir gazed at it, each bottle seeming to whisper seductively."Come on, come have a taste."It was pure torture!He took another swig of cola."Whoa!"Yeneth's shout came out of nowhere.Yahir choked mid-sip.The cola fizz popped like fireworks in his throat, sending him into a coughing frenzy, his face flushing a deep crimson as the soda splashed across the floor.Madeline jumped at his coughing spectacle, hastily grabbing a tis
Madeline swung open the kitchen door to find Yahir wrapping his arms around Yeneth from behind, as if he could not bear to let her go.Her mind, already a whirlwind of thoughts, was completely thrown."What in the world..."Madeline was puzzled as she returned from the kitchen. She had only stepped away to make a call, and then Yeneth and Yahir were locked in an embrace.Yeneth tried to explain, "Madeline, this isn't what it looks like. I was just—"However, Yahir clamped a hand over her mouth, grinning at Madeline. "We're just playing around, Madeline. Hey, do you have any wine glasses? We need four. Let's celebrate!"Trevon stepped out from behind Madeline, his composed facade unbroken. "Lost your head? She's pregnant. Think she can drink?"Yahir smacked his forehead. "Oh, man. I totally spaced on that."Once Yeneth wriggled free, she took a deep breath and delivered a sharp kick to Yahir's leg. "Get off me!"She kicked with all her might, hitting Yahir's shin and sending a
At that moment, Trevon seemed to freeze, then he straightened his posture. "Madeline, Liam's role is to be your close protection, to ensure your safety."Madeline had faced too many close calls, and he could not shake his concern for her.However, she was fiercely independent. If it were up to him, he would keep her tethered to his side.Madeline let out a derisive snort. She knew Xoan well enough to know he could dig up information on Yoana, but not with such speed and precision.Xoan claimed Liam was the one who had lent a hand.Madeline knew Liam. That had Trevon's fingerprints all over it."Do you really think I've become so dim-witted from pregnancy that I can't think straight?"Trevon looked at her, a mix of frustration and affection in his eyes.She had once been so sweet and compliant. Then, she became so sharp and quick-witted, a match even for him.However, he preferred her that way."Madeline, I'm just looking out for you."Trevon had an insatiable need to know ev
"Madeline, I've got the scoop on Yoana," Xoan said.Madeline was taken aback. "So soon?"Xoan let out a sly chuckle. "It wouldn't have been this quick, but Liam lent us a hand."Madeline stole a quick look at Trevon, then cast her gaze downward.Fifteen years back, Yoana was forced out of the Sanders Group—a victim of Cilix's cunning plot.It was not just a simple resignation as Bella had naively believed. Yoana was secretly saddled with a mountain of debt.Cilix did not stop there. He tarnished Yoana's name throughout the industry.She could not land a respectable job to save her life.Her personal life was total chaos.Her husband, Jim Livingston, who was once a low-level office worker, had dived into business on the back of Yoana's earnings and made a pretty penny.However, when the bill came due, Yoana hit a wall. Jim had sent all his cash back to his folks, leaving peanuts behind.Yoana was floored. A decade of hard work, and not a dime to show for it.When she begged
Madeline swung the door open to find Trevon on her doorstep, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown.Before she could get a word out, Yahir popped up from behind him with a grin. "Happy New Year, Madeline!"He waved a container of homemade goodies.Those two had nearly fought that morning, and then they were as chummy as can be—though Trevon looked like he would rather be anywhere else. However, he bit his tongue and kept quiet.With the Gibsons and the Lewises all cozied up for a New Year's feast, what on earth were those two doing there?Yahir's face fell. "Madeline, you've got no idea. My mom's a force of nature. Can you believe she's still dragging me to blind dates on New Year's Eve? I just had to bail."Madeline could not help but think about Liliana's earlier enthusiasm for rallying the troops and was at a loss for words."What about you, Trevon? What brings you here?" Madeline asked.Trevon pursed his lips. He was looking a little quiet too.Edith had been on his ca
Madeline walked into her house and immediately sensed something was up. She nudged the door wider and there was Yeneth, sparking an involuntary grin on her face."I thought you were going to be hibernating today?"Yeneth had been swamped with the Skylandia project, barely getting any sleep. She had texted Madeline about sleeping in on her day off.With a shrug and a smirk, Yeneth said, "Guess I'm just wired to work. Woke up at the crack of dawn, hung around in bed not to wake you, and by the time I showed up, you were already out and about."Madeline shut the door behind her, musing aloud."I've been turning it over in my mind. All this press and pest hunting is kid's play for the Sanders Group. To really take them on, we've got to… Yank the carpet out from under them?" Yeneth's smile was the answer Madeline needed as she shared her strategy."How's that sound?"Yeneth's thumbs-up was quick, but her frown came just as fast. "Fashion's a shark tank, and jumping in now? That's r
Madeline's request left Yoana taken aback.A wry smile crossed her face. "What can I possibly help you with at my age?"Madeline grasped her hand with conviction. "No, Mrs. Reed, you're the only one who can do this favor for me."Yoana looked down, her expression unreadable, and whispered, "You're giving me too much credit. Besides, with my background, there's no way I can go back to working with the Sanders Group. I have a couple of pairs of baby shoes here. Take them as a baby shower gift for your little ones."Madeline realized Yoana had gotten the wrong idea, thinking she was there about the Sanders Group or Cilix, and felt a twinge of disappointment."Mrs. Reed, please don't reject my request just yet. I'm planning to start my own fashion label. Everything Is underway, but I'm still missing one crucial piece—a designer."Madeline shared her vision.Yoana's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she heard Madeline's vision for her new company."That sounds just like the Sanders