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
Downstairs, Riley was wide awake, Trevon's words echoing in her mind. Without hesitation, she picked up the phone and called her go-to lawyer.The lawyer listened and then confirmed, "That's right. Without a prenup, the law says the couple should split everything down the middle."Unless...""Unless what?" Riley pressed."Unless one spouse decides to walk away from the assets, agreeing to it in a divorce settlement," the lawyer explained."So, if the divorce papers state that she’s giving up her share, they won't need to split anything else?" Riley clarified."Exactly," the lawyer confirmed.Riley's laugh was sharp, tinged with resolve. "Fine, draft me that divorce settlement."The lawyer hesitated, then asked carefully, "Mrs. Yagle, who is this settlement for, if I may ask?""Mind your own business," Riley snapped, and ended the call.Madeline had no clue about Riley's scheme. She would better sign the papers without a fuss, or she would be in for a nasty surprise.Unaware
"Someone else... now... about to be fired..." Sherah's muffled voice floated from the hallway.Madeline strained to listen, her footsteps quieting. Sherah had been acting off, and Madeline's curiosity was piqued.Just then, a janitor caught Madeline's eye and swung open the corridor door. With a loud creak, the heavy door broke the silence, and Sherah's conversation came to an abrupt halt.Madeline glided into the room, a playful smile on her lips. "Mrs. Jeppesen, what brings you here?"Sherah hastily tucked her phone out of sight and forced a laugh. "Just catching up with the family."Ms. Sanders, what can I do for you?"Madeline's eyes flicked to the hidden phone and back, her smile unwavering. "Just a little something. Macy is here mainly to help my mom in the kitchen, so don't get the wrong idea. I..."Sherah cut in, more eager than Madeline had anticipated. "If you've found extra hands, it's perfect timing—I've got my own matters at home. Maybe I should..."Madeline's eyeb
Riley's voice cut in. "Ten o'clock, meet me at The Cornerstone Cafe. We need to talk."The line went dead before Madeline could answer.She pocketed her phone with a calm she did not feel and picked up where they left off. "It's about Mrs. Jeppesen, the one caring for my mom."She rushed off, claiming a family emergency. But something doesn't sit right with me."Caleb gave a nod of understanding. "I'm on it."Madeline bit her lip, apologetic. "I hate to impose."However, Caleb was her only option, there was no one else.Caleb just grinned, keeping his thoughts to himself. "What's your plan? That baby bump isn't going to stay hidden much longer."Madeline's voice was a whisper of worry. "If I have to, I'll lay low for a while."Trevon's stance was a mystery. If he refused to divorce, she would have to disappear until the baby arrived."Let me know if you need anything," Caleb offered, his concern genuine."Will do."Madeline headed for the door, then paused and swung back ar
Riley sat in the cafe, her face stormy with annoyance. They had said thirty minutes, but an hour had ticked by with no sign of Madeline.It seemed Madeline was not taking her seriously at all! Just as Riley's patience was wearing thin, in came Madeline, taking her sweet time."Finally!" Riley snapped, her composure shattered, her hand thudding on the table.Luckily, she had reserved the place, so their spat had no audience except for the barista, who peeked over from the counter, then quickly pretended to be engrossed in his work.Madeline took a seat across from him with a serene grace, setting her belongings on the floor with a soft thud. "Got caught in a bit of traffic, sorry about that," she said, her voice devoid of concern. Her face still bore the marks of yesterday's injury, swollen and tender to the eye.Riley let out a derisive snort, his eyes darting to the bag by her feet, stuffed to the brim. Clearly, those were fresh purchases. She had not been delayed by traffic, she
As the phrase "walk away with nothing" echoed in her ears, Madeline grasped the true reason behind Riley's summons. Had there been a misunderstanding that she intended to split the assets with Trevon, prompting that attempt to leave her with nothing?With an icy chuckle, Madeline seized the document from the table and ripped it to shreds."You!" Riley shot up from her chair, fury written all over her face.As Madeline methodically tore the agreement into pieces, Riley's anger boiled over. She raised her hand impulsively. However, Madeline was quicker, grabbing her coffee and dousing Riley's face with it.Her eyes, steely and unyielding, fixed on Riley as she lightly touched her swollen left cheek. "What's the matter, aiming to ruin my looks?"Her face, a patchwork of healing bruises and distinct finger marks against her pale skin, looked fierce.Madeline's frosty demeanor sent a shiver down Riley's spine, and the intended slap faltered. Then, only the steady drip of coffee from h
The person in the bed was none other than Yanely.At Cooper's words, her sleepy mind snapped to attention, and she mumbled with a pout, "What does she want with you?"Cooper chuckled. "She's a client of mine, probably needs a massage."Get some more sleep. We'll go out dancing tonight."Yanely, still tired from the previous night's session, waved him off and drifted back to sleep.Cooper gave her one last look before leaving the room.Lydia's night was no less troubled. She had pressed Trevon to keep his promise, but he had only given her a deep, searching look."You've just been through a miscarriage, you need time to heal. I hope you'll have things figured out by the time I get back from my trip."Everything was so unexpected. Trevon had no regard for their past, not even for the life of their child, leaving Lydia in a complete state of panic.Lydia tried to slip out to find Riley, but Liam, the security guard, blocked her way. "I'm sorry, Ms. Sanders. You're not well enough
Cilix's voice was grave. "The contract was with some no-name company that went belly-up today. The bank's frozen all their accounts. Every penny's tied up in settling debts."Looks like Sanders Corporation won't be seeing a dime of that money."Riley had been cunning, picking a broken company to ink a deal with. She was done investing, just declared bankruptcy, and pulled out her cash. Skylar was stunned, collapsing on the couch, whispering, "How could she do this?" Lydia had just lost her baby, and Riley yanked her funding right after. That was heartless. Cilix saw her looking totally lost and got mad all over again. "Why did you have to drag Lydia's baby into this mess?"'Can't you guys get anything right? Why am I always cleaning up your messes?Back when Bella was around, I never had to worry about this stuff!' The more he thought, the angrier he got. Cilix slammed his fist on the coffee table, and the cups rattled like crazy.Skylar flinched, covering her face and scoo