Madeline looked at him, puzzled."My granddad's birthday is in a couple of weeks. He really likes your painting. Would you be willing to whip something up for him as a birthday present?"Madeline was quick to dismiss the idea.Madeline figured that Caleb's granddad, Wasyl Jabs, was just being nice. She could not take that kind of stuff at face value.However, Caleb just chuckled in response. "No, really. He's a fan. If 'Rainy Night' was up for grabs, he'd have snapped it up in a heartbeat."Madeline was not convinced. "It's not the same. If you're gifting art, it should be something by a big-name artist."That was when Yeneth cut in. "Come on! Mr. Jabs has seen it all when it comes to famous art. It's fresh talent like you, Madeline, that brings something new to the table."Caleb agreed with a nod. "That's the truth."Madeline could not help but burst into laughter.She was not taken in by their flattery, standing her ground. "You know, painting's all about the vibe, and I jus
Once Madeline saw Trevon for who he really was, her disdain for him grew by the minute.'Just listen to the nonsense he spouts.'Madeline, twirling her juice glass, casually remarked, "Mr. Gibson, there's no need to scout for a new flame. You already have one on standby. Since we've shared a life, let me leave you with some wisdom. I can't stand a man who plays by two sets of rules."Trevon's complexion turned stormy, his eyes deep pools of brewing anger.Lydia's face was a picture of hurt innocence. "Madeline, how can you say such things about Trevon? He's just looking out for you."Yeneth suddenly walked in, catching Lydia's words and losing her composure. She grabbed a juice from the table and drenched Lydia with it."Shame on you! The nerve, cozying up to your sister's husband and then preaching about reputation."Lydia, caught off guard, was drenched on the spot. She was never one to be caught in such a mess, pointing at Yeneth, speechless.Yeneth, with her hands defiantly
Trevon stepped into the private room and dialed a number."Take care of it. Keep today's incident under wraps."His voice was low, his anger simmering.The sight of Madeline feigning pain and being carried away by Caleb gnawed at him, leaving him restless.He was convinced she was putting on a show. How else could he explain not feeling anything, given their strange bond?When Madeline was struck, he had felt a twinge of discomfort himself.The spark that once burned between them had dimmed to nearly nothing.It was clear she was perfectly fine.Did she think she could play sick to stir up his remorse? In her dreams!Trevon had no clue their bond hinged solely on Madeline's pregnancy. With the loss of the baby, their connection was bound to fade.Lydia rushed in, her clothes stained and sticky with juice, looking like a mess.Caught up in his own fury, Trevon barely glanced her way, leaving Lydia feeling slighted.It was not until Trevon noticed Lydia's miserable state that
Madeline's body trembled as tears uncontrollably cascaded down her cheeks.Yeneth was a crying mess beside Madeline. "This is all my fault! I... I..."She smacked herself across the face in a fit of self-blame.Madeline reached out to her. "It's not your fault, you silly girl."However, deep down, Madeline blamed herself. She should have kept her distance from Trevon and Lydia.Both women were in tears, prompting the doctor to intervene."Enough crying. It'll only make things worse. What you need right now is to stay positive. Give that little one inside you all the strength you can muster. That's its best shot at survival!"The doctor's words reignited Madeline's resolve, and she quickly dried her eyes.She needed to be strong for her baby.Through her tears, Yeneth managed to laugh. "I'll... I'll dance for you and try to get a smile out of you."She started to dance with her clumsy limbs and tear-streaked face, looking utterly ridiculous.It worked. Madeline could not help
Did the Skylandia team mess up?The camera panned to Lydia, decked out in a chic suit that turned heads, especially with that eye-catching brooch.She waved to the crowd before diving into how she 'conceived and created' the character, claiming every brush stroke as her own.Madeline's heart sank. That was not a mix-up. Lydia had stolen her design in plain sight of an entire online audience. The nerve!Fingers flying, Madeline sent a text message to her Skylandia contact.[What's going on here?]Madeline's phone flashed with a glaring red exclamation mark and a notification.'You are not friends with this person.'A mix of anger and laughter bubbled up in Madeline. She had clung to a sliver of hope that the people behind such a massive project would have some sense of decency.It turned out that the larger the project, the more reckless they became.Caleb noticed her distress. Concerned for her well-being, he gently reminded her, "Madeline, there's no need to rush. Your baby
Madeline's artistic alias, Lily Mora, may not have been a household name, but she had her share of die-hard fans.In that tight-knit community, each piece's art style and intricacies were everything.The character revealed at the press conference screamed Lily Mora's signature touch.Toss that tidbit into any fan forum, and they would usually get a few chuckles and nothing more.However, a handful of art students in the group took a closer look. They compared the new character with Lydia and Lily Mora's past works and were convinced that Lily Mora had to be the true artist behind it.They sent a private message to Lily Mora to seek confirmation. Madeline, confined to her hospital bed, could not possibly respond.So, they turned to Skylandia's official channels, armed with the buzzword 'Skylandia's breathtaking character'.The Skylandia launch was the talk of the gaming world.The gaming industry was booming with new games popping up every day, but a bona fide AAA game? Those we
Wren desperately glanced at Lydia for backup.She put together the presentation deck, but Lydia told her to do it that way. When Wren suggested using Lydia's character, Camden was unhappy and chose Lily Mora's instead.Lydia had kept quiet, but she had Wren switch the credit to her name later on.Wren objected, but Lydia had brushed it off, saying Lily Mora was just a small-time artist and no one would make a big deal about it.However, Lydia was the boss, and Wren, just an assistant, had to follow orders.When the situation spiraled, Wren was just as panicked.Lydia muttered 'idiot' under her breath and said with a grave expression, "What's done is done. We need to focus on how to quiet down the chatter online without dragging Skylandia through the mud. I'll address the issue when it's resolved. I'll own up to it."Lydia claimed to be going with the flow, but she stepped up to take the blame, acting like she would do anything for the project and the company.However, what was
Lydia's handling of Lily Mora's situation was less than honorable.Trevon was aware of her ambition to rise to fame quickly on the home front, but she had miscalculated the severity of the situation.The advancement of the internet left many dark secrets nowhere to hide.Honesty was always the best policy."Lily Mora's got some serious talent with a brush. Xystos Tech could really use someone like her."Bernard caught on quickly. "You want her to take a crack at the spokesperson's portrait?"Trevon had no objections. With that settled, Bernard went back to his training routine.Yahir looked puzzled. "That's it? No other conditions?"He thought they should at least negotiate a better deal for the endorsement and make some extra cash for the team.…By the time Camden and Lydia showed up, Trevon had nearly wrapped up the deal.Lydia looked like a sad puppy caught in the rain. "Trevon, if we go through with this, how will I ever make a name for myself in the art world?"Trevon