Riley, flanked by her entourage, looked at Caleb and Madeline with pure loathing. Madeline tried to explain. "Mrs. Yagle, this is their compensation." Riley laughed coldly and mocked, "Compensation? You're too kind. Good thing I was smart enough to freeze your account. You would've blown through Trevon's fortune, wouldn't you?"Caleb and Chandler both looked puzzled. Madeline's bank card was locked down?That explained the worried look on her face earlier.Madeline stayed silent as she reached out her hand, signaling for Riley to hand back the check.She was not being generous. She was backed into a corner.Besides, even if she did hand over the cash, those guys would not be able to just walk away with it.It was clear that David and his crew were trying to shake them down.Riley held onto the check, her eyes darting between Caleb and Madeline. "Wow, Madeline, you're full of surprises. So, spill it. How long have you two been an item?"Chandler was totally lost.Madeline a
Madeline's eyes were seething with fury as she bolted forward, heedless of everything else."Madeline!" Caleb yelled, dashing to her side to shield her.Yeneth and Chandler came to their senses and rushed to lend a hand. However, no matter how quick they were, Bella's fall was just a blink away.By the time Madeline got to her, she was already sprawled on the ground.In that moment, Madeline felt as if her own heart had plummeted to the floor with a thud.A dull roar seemed to burst right next to her ear, silencing the world around her. She shoved through the crowd in a frenzy, screaming for the nurses.The nurses turned as white as ghosts, and it took them a moment to snap out of it before they dashed over.The moment they began their journey, Madeline's eyes caught a glimpse of a smiling face in the distance behind them—it was Lydia. As Lydia's gaze locked with Madeline's, her smile shone brightly. She twirled the pink necklace at her throat with her left hand and gave Madel
Yeneth stood by Madeline's side, eyes brimming with tears, voice quivering as she whispered her name."Madeline."Caleb and the rest stayed silent, their eyes filled with worry as they watched Madeline.However, she did not collapse this time. Instead, she gave Yeneth's hand a reassuring pat and said, "I'm going to go in and talk to her."Without waiting for anyone's response, she headed inside alone.Bella's condition had not changed since two days ago. Madeline had found the way to save Bella, so why was she still on the brink of death?Madeline's sobs broke through as she clutched her mouth, unable to hold back her tears.She knelt by Bella's bedside, her cries and whispers blending into a heart-wrenching call. "Mom..."Outside, Yeneth, witnessing Madeline's breakdown, could not contain her own tears, covering her mouth as she sobbed breathlessly.…At the airport exit, Yahir paced restlessly, glancing at his watch every few seconds.The flight was supposed to land before
The nurse draped a white sheet over Bella and wheeled her away.Madeline stood still before leaving the room.Trevon watched her, noticing how much more worn she looked, and said softly, "I'm sorry I'm late."Madeline gave him a brief look, shook her head slightly, her face unreadable.Trevon's brow creased, wanting to say more, but Madeline was already looking away, turning to Yeneth. "I need to pick out a gravesite for my mom. Yeneth, will you come with me?"Yeneth nodded.Trevon, caught off guard, frowned and said, "Let Daniel handle these small things."He bit back the rest of his thoughts. 'Madeline, you need to rest.'Madeline's voice was icy. "Mr. Gibson, if you're not too busy, maybe you could sort out my bank card being frozen. I've got funeral costs to cover, and I can't exactly go asking for loans, can I?"Trevon's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"Without another word, Madeline took Yeneth by the arm and they left.Bella's trip overseas was off the table, so al
As Trevon absorbed the story, he realized Madeline had actually been pretty decent to him.Given her recent streak of being all claws and fangs, it was nothing short of a miracle she had not attacked him.He shut his eyes tightly, a new weight of helplessness settling in his chest.The tension between them was already thick enough to cut with a knife. Then, it seemed like the chances of patching things up had gone from slim to none.He patted the box in his pocket and stood up abruptly."Mr. Gibson?"Trevon bit his lip. "I need to clear the air with her."Daniel let out a sigh. It was about time Trevon had a heart-to-heart with Madeline.However, just as Trevon made it to the door, he collapsed."Mr. Gibson!"Daniel rushed to his side and felt the heat radiating off him. Trevon's chest wound must have gotten infected.Without wasting a second, Daniel called for a ride and whisked Trevon off to the hospital.In the chaos, he completely spaced on helping Madeline, even forget
Madeline's eyes were void of emotion, making her seem even more distant and icy. "Should my mother's journey to the afterlife be delayed for someone who's practically a stranger?"None of the people Bella cherished—her son, her parents—had come.Madeline figured Bella would not have wanted to see anyone else, anyway.Trevon was not worth the wait."Go ahead with the cremation."'Stranger…'Yahir's heart skipped a beat, and he opened his mouth to speak, but a single look from Madeline's indifferent gaze left him mute.'Damn, she's frigid.'No one could speak up against Madeline's chilling stare.Yahir had his suspicions that if he kept talking, Madeline might just have the funeral staff escort him out.He had done all he could.Right when the funeral workers were about to take Bella for cremation, Trevon finally showed up, leaning on Daniel and Liam for support.Daniel caught sight of Bella's body still lying there and let out a relieved breath.He had made it just in time.
Despite the early stage of her pregnancy, Madeline felt its toll on her body, making every movement a challenge.She gingerly sidestepped her tender belly and eased herself down with a bit of a struggle, resting against Bella's headstone the way she used to snuggle into her mom's arms as a little girl.Her gaze was distant, looking through the world in front of her, lost in thought or maybe lost in the absence of it.It took a while, but she finally found her voice."Mom, you're gone now, so let go of this world's worries. I'm all grown up, I can look after myself. I know you were always worried about Kayden. I'm sorry I couldn't bring him to see you before you had to say goodbye."Don't worry, though. I'm on a mission to find him, and someday, I'll bring him right here to you. Just wait for the good news, okay?"Madeline lapsed into silence once more, a long, heavy pause before she glanced at the photo on the gravestone.Bella's smile in the picture was radiant, as if untouched
Stephen had made the trek back up the mountain with one goal in mind—to clear the air with Madeline about where they stood with each other.He was not looking to make her feel indebted to him or the Fergusons. He just wanted her to trust him, to lean on him, especially when things were looking pretty complicated.However, after he arrived and overheard her chat with Bella, he was at a loss for words.Madeline looked up, surprised to see Stephen. "Mr. Ferguson, you came back?"He held up the bottle of water. "Thought you could use a drink."She paused, and a smile broke through. "Thanks," she said, accepting the water.Stephen sat down next to her, nodding toward the horizon. "You know, your mom would hate to see you beating yourself up like this."Madeline looked down, her voice neutral. "Didn't peg you as the type to eavesdrop."Stephen winced, coughing awkwardly. He had not meant to listen in."So, what's your next move, Mrs. Gibson?"She quickly corrected him. "Just Madeli