Trevon's voice was surprisingly gentle.Before Madeline could respond, a wave of nausea hit her hard, and she bolted for the bathroom to throw up.Trevon turned pale and clenched his fists tightly, barely managing to stop himself from vomiting.Why did he have to feel her nausea as if it were his own? He would rather deal with physical pain than that invisible, gut-wrenching sensation.After what felt like an eternity, Madeline's stomach finally settled. She wiped her mouth with a tissue that had mysteriously appeared before her. Looking up, she offered a weak but heartfelt "Thank you" to Trevon, who had braved the unpleasantness to bring her the tissue.Discomfort crossed Trevon's face as he replied coldly, "Just don't make me watch."Madeline was left speechless.She had to admit, the man had a sharp tongue. His handsome face and long legs must have blinded her in the past.Madeline had just finished sprucing up the bathroom when she returned and dropped the bombshell."We g
A collective sigh of relief swept through the project team.It was not long before the Skylandia project team made a flourishing announcement.[Thrilled to have Lily Mora join the 'Skylandia' team.]Lily Mora's response was equally gracious.[Happy to clear up the misunderstanding. Excited to collaborate!]There was Bernard, quietly hitting 'like' on her post, as if his silent endorsement meant everything.Yahir was at it again, stirring up chaos before he dialed Trevon's number."You're in my debt now, buddy. How do you plan to make it up to me?"Trevon was already distracted. His productivity tanked due to the emotional turmoil Madeline put him in.He tossed the paperwork aside and asked over the phone, "What's it gonna take?"With a sly laugh, Yahir replied, "Come on. We're the champs. What are we doing holed up in this backwater town? Rent me a floor in the Redenbaugh City office building downtown. It'll give me a reason to come back and hang out with you."Trevon mulled
Annoyance flickered in Lydia's eyes.Wren was such an idiot! Did she not realize the cameras recording their every move, ready to broadcast their secrets to the world?Lydia plastered on a reassuring smile. "Calm down. You know Mr. Gibson is my boyfriend, and he can easily hook you up with a new job. However, if you start job hunting right after the 'Skylandia' fiasco, won't people suspect you screwed up and had to quit? Just hang tight for a bit. Let the rumors die down, and I'll find you a great gig."Wren, desperate, pressed, "How long are we talking?""Give it three months, tops. People forget quickly, especially online."Tears welled up in Wren's eyes. "I can't wait that long. I've got rent to pay and food to buy. I won't survive a month without a paycheck."Lydia raised an eyebrow. "You don't have any savings?""Not a dime."Wren was the epitome of living paycheck to paycheck, always leaning on credit cards to get by. A month without cash would spell disaster for her cred
The message came with a photo attached.When Madeline opened it, she saw a young man with striking features, his brows knitted and lips sealed in a standoffish pose.However, to Madeline, he seemed kind of familiar, and she warmed to him instantly.The message was from Aaron Hunters, Skylandia's business guy.Aaron had added a note.[Meet Bernard, the leader of the Raimundo Team. He personally requested for you to complete this drawing gig.]It took a moment, but then, it clicked. Bernard was the guy from the press conference. His support had sparked a flurry of likes online.It turns out he had really given Madeline a leg up."Okay, but I recall 'Skylandia' has a bunch of roles to choose from. Which one is Bernard thinking of using?" Aaron paused, then added, 'Bernard wants to discuss it with you directly. Would it be okay if I gave him your number?]Madeline, who kept a separate phone number for work, quickly agreed. Soon after, Bernard sent her a message.[Hey there, Lil
Lydia stormed off to find Camden, but he threw up his hands in defeat. "What am I supposed to do? The Raimundo Team picked her, and Mr. Gibson gave the thumbs up. If you think you can do better, go talk to Mr. Gibson."Lydia left the room fuming. By the time she reached Trevon's office, she had swapped her anger for a look of hurt innocence."Trevon, maybe it's time to let someone else step in as the head of art," she suggested.Trevon, already feeling under the weather, scowled at her arrival. "What now?"Lydia could hear the annoyance in his voice and played up her distress. "I messed up, and I'll take the heat for it. I'm fine with Lily Mora doing the illustrations for the spokesperson."She paused, sneaking a peek at Trevon's reaction before adding, "However, you know, with six spokespersons, isn't it a bit much for just Lily Mora to handle? I thought we could spread the workload around and let a few others take a crack at it, but Camden just laughed in my face when I brought
Camden had no complaints. The deal was set.Madeline, too, saw no issue when she heard the news.A smaller number of paintings meant that the team could focus on excellence. That suited her just fine.Using Bernard's styled photo as a reference, Madeline started her preliminary sketches. Drawing was a breeze for her, a calming influence that steadied her spirit.The only real struggle was dealing with her pregnancy nausea. She wondered when it would stop.…After clocking out, Trevon mulled over his concern momentarily before dialing Madeline's number.His unease about her condition made him anxious.However, after a single ring, he hung up and called Felicia instead.Felicia was busy with dinner preparations when she saw Trevon's call and answered promptly. "Mr. Gibson, dinner's ready. Are you off work?"Trevon hesitated before replying softly, "I've got things to do today. I won't be coming home."Felicia responded with a simple "Oh."After a brief silence, Trevon inquire
Madeline gripped the doorknob tighter, inhaled deeply, and steadied her voice. "I'm okay. It's just a little cold. I'll be fine in a few days."Trevon let out a disdainful snort. "You think I'm doing this for fun? Grandma's the one who's worried. She gave the word, so we're going."Madeline scrambled for an excuse but came up empty.She reluctantly replied, "I can go alone since you're swamped with work. I wouldn't dream of bothering you."Trevon glared at her. "Quit your babbling. Wash up, and let's hit the road!"Madeline remained silent.They ended up in the car, driving toward Sunshine Medical Center."Drop the sour face. Without Grandma's call, do you think you'd even be attended to at Sunshine Medical Center with your status?"Madeline rolled her eyes. "I'm not impressed. I don't even want to see a doctor. Let me out."She reached for the door handle again, but Trevon caught her hand and asked sarcastically, "Are you still afraid of doctors at your age, Madeline?"Madel
Walter was the head of Sunshine Medical Center. As the pair walked in, they noticed that another man was also in his office.Caleb, with a patient's chart in hand, appeared to be seeking Walter's advice.Trevon's mood soured at the sight of him.On the other hand, Caleb greeted them as if bumping into them was the happiest accident, his face the picture of serenity.Madeline greeted him back, not missing a beat.Seizing the moment, Caleb took a seat, clearly planning to stick around.Walter gave him a nod, not minding the company, and motioned for Trevon and Madeline to sit.Trevon explained, "She's been under the weather for some time, and my grandma's been fretting. We're hoping you could check her out."Walter finally turned his attention to Madeline, noting her pallor.Madeline jumped in. "I caught a cold recently, and it's been on and off. I just can't seem to shake it, but it's really no big deal.""Really?"Walter looked at her thoughtfully, glancing briefly at Caleb