"Enough screen time, Madeline. You need to rest," Trevon said, taking the tablet from her hands.Madeline massaged her tired eyes. "Did you have a hand in this mess?"Cilix was too skilled to just watch this disaster unfold. He would surely try to stop it before it got out of hand.However, that was wishful thinking.The online storm was raging out of control. Someone was definitely stirring the pot.Trevon's lips tightened, and he remained silent. He had enlisted the Gibson Group's help, but someone else had beaten them to the punch.The Fergusons had already greased the media's palms, ensuring the Sanders Group scandal was the talk of the town, and they were not about to let Cilix cool things down.He had only given a fraction of the effort the Fergusons had.Why were the Fergusons so intent on taking down the Sanders Group and Cilix?It had to be for Madeline's sake.The thought twisted Trevon's gut into knots. He was all tied up inside.Madeline noticed his odd look and
Trevon was fuming, even more upset than she was.He knew he had a hand in how things had spiraled. If he had not been so repulsed, if he had not ignored Riley's antics, Madeline's brother would not be caught up in that mess.The thought of a guy resorting to being a gigolo was downright humiliating.Trevon knew that Madeline was torn up about her brother, but the mess was made, and it was time to clean it up.He was seriously worried about Madeline as he said, "Don't stress too much about Cooper. Remember, you've got a little one on the way."Madeline shot him a withering look and huffed, "Since when do you yap so much? Get lost, will you?"Talk about awkwardness.Her brother was cozying up with her ex-mother-in-law.Just the sight of Trevon sent her mind into a tangle of dark thoughts, and all she wanted to do was hide her face and bolt.Trevon replied calmly, "I'll go now. The water for your foot soak is ready."Ever since winter hit, Madeline's feet were perpetually frozen
Without hesitation, Madeline said yes.She was an academic in name, but she felt she had not really given back to the world of traditional culture. With a chance to make a difference, she was all in.Baxter grinned. "We're setting up a cultural relics restoration project, not just for paintings. We'll have a bunch of live streams for it. We're a bit short on ancient paintings, though, so we'll be asking folks to send theirs in for some care and restoration."That was fine by Madeline. She was ready to stick to what she knew best and rock at it.The gig would kick off the next day with a live stream from the provincial museum, and Madeline was on board.No objections from her.With a smile, Baxter turned to leave and nearly crashed into a guy.The dude just gave him that icy smirk.Baxter shuddered. What was with that creepy grin?Only after leaving Oralia did Baxter turn to his assistant. "Who's that guy?""The Fergusons have a whole lineup of five sons. That one looks like H
The online news storm hit harder and faster than Cilix ever expected, and the PR department's emergency plan was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.Cilix could not even begin to guess how many were fanning the flames behind the scenes.The year's end was crunch time for performance, but that mess had the Sanders Group's clothing stores taking hit after hit.Orders nosedived. That morning, cancellations came in waves, a rate five times the norm, scraping the bottom of the industry barrel.If that kept up, the Sanders Group would turn into the industry's punchline.At least some deals with distributors were locked in and safe from the storm for the time being.However, even with that silver lining, the Sanders Group's stock price plummeted the moment the market's gates opened, and it was looking grim.If they could not turn that ship around...Cilix massaged his temples, feeling the weight of the world. "Any word from Colton?"Yancy's expression was as dark as the storm cl
'Forty-five million dollars? That's enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat. Does Hector really hold this woman in such high regard?' Brody thought to himself.Hector would flip if he knew that Stephen's orders were part of the reason Lydia could not leave.However, Brody was not about to make his own life difficult. He shrugged helplessly and replied, "Sorry, there's nothing I can do."Hector stormed out, his plans thwarted and his temper flaring.Brody let out a long sigh, picked up the phone, and made a call. "Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Hector Ferguson was here demanding Lydia's release.""Just ignore him," Stephen replied calmly."Got it."With the conversation over, Brody hung up, his gaze lingering on a painting before deciding to call Madeline.Madeline, on the other end, did not seem worried. "I'm aware. Just make sure Brody keeps a close watch on Lydia."Hector thought that was if they were overseas, where he could just throw some money around and take Lydia away? He clearly
Madeline whirled around. "What are you implying?"Hoyt let out a relieved breath when she paused. "Promise you won't come after me, and I'll spill everything."Fury blazed in Madeline's eyes as she glared at Hoyt.His confidence wavered under her intense stare. "I'm the only one who knows the whole story. If you don't agree, you'll be left in the dark forever."She isn't actually sick," Hoyt added, sensing Madeline's skepticism.Madeline fought back a tidal wave of anger, took a deep breath, and slowly returned to her seat. "Go ahead," she said, her voice steady but ice-cold.…After leaving the detective agency, Madeline felt lost, unsure of her next move.On a whim, she hailed a cab and headed straight to the club—Cooper's workplace.The Meridian Club was not as swanky as the Crystal River Clubhouse, but it was just as packed, maybe even more so. The crowd was mostly women, a mix of ages and styles.Madeline watched them, dazed, Hoyt's recent revelations echoing in her he
Everyone's eyes darted to the door, all wondering who had the guts to bug Trevon in the middle of a meeting.Trevon's face was stormy, his eyes slicing toward the door like daggers.He did not get a word out before the door swung open.It was Daniel.With all eyes on him, Daniel just nudged his glasses up his nose and stayed cool as a cucumber. "Mr. Gibson, there's something urgent."The rest of the room felt their hearts drop. If there was one thing Trevon could not stand, it was interruptions.Without a darn good reason, he would go through the roof.Daniel? He had only dropped a bombshell.Was he trying to stir up trouble? The so-called ace assistant, was he taking too big a risk?Sweat gathered on everyone's foreheads as they braced themselves, waiting for Trevon's explosion.Trevon's brow raised as he caught on to what Daniel was hinting at—something about Madeline—and his frown deepened.What kind of trouble could Madeline have gotten into that would make Daniel come t
Madeline had been talking in circles for what felt like forever before she finally pieced together that just a few days back, someone had been snooping around for info on Cooper, curious about his recent companions.Turns out, that nosy parker had been plotting to buy Cooper's freedom.However, Cooper was not having any of it.The guy kicked up a storm, but he got his comeuppance—a good thrashing and the boot, right out the door.Madeline's mouth hung open a touch.That was news.Jaxon chimed in, "I'd drop it if I were you. Cooper's pretty much royalty around here now. He's way out of your league."Madeline's expression darkened, her voice icing over. "That's none of your business. Can you just get him for me?"Jaxon's brow creased with concern. "Look, if you've got a crush on Cooper, I could set you up with someone else."She was known for splashing the cash, and not even a baby bump could dent her appeal.Madeline cut to the chase. "Just bring him to me, and I'll spring for