Madeline was baffled all over again.How could Trevon be so certain the baby was his? He was blackout drunk that night, and the next morning, he could not remember a thing.Riley's annoyance turned into a scowl. "You said nothing happened between you two, so how could it be your child?"Trevon did not waste his breath on an explanation, instead turning to Madeline with concern. "Are you okay? Can you walk?"Madeline was still reeling, but his voice snapped her back to reality.She noticed Trevon's hand was covered in blood, so mangled it was impossible to tell where the injury started.The floor was littered with the remnants of shattered glass cups—large shards and tiny fragments alike.He was ignoring the pain, the danger.The thought of an artery being sliced open sent a shiver down Madeline's spine, her voice trembling with tears. "Your hand... We can't wait, we need to get to a hospital right now."Madeline was beyond worrying about Cooper and Riley, urgently tugging Trev
Trevon's hand was cut deeply, with nearly twenty wounds from the glass shards. The hospital staff worked on them until late into the night, barely finishing the job, and he even got a tetanus shot.Madeline bit her lip, silent, her eyes brimming with unshed tears."The wound needs daily care, and to keep it dry. Stick to a light diet," the doctor advised.Without a word, Madeline took the medicine and walked out in silence.Trevon found her behavior odd, thinking she was upset from her encounter with Cooper, and asked quietly, "Weren't we waiting on the DNA test results? Why'd you go off to find someone today?"Madeline bit her lip, a clear sign she was holding back words.Trevon's brow creased with concern as he reached for her. "What's up?"Her gaze snapped up, eyes swirling with doubt. Could she put her trust in Trevon?Her mother had put that same trust in Cilix, leaving everything behind for him, a gamble that cost her dearly.Cilix, who once seemed to bear any pain, any
Daniel replied, "Yes. Cilix is pretty slick. He's got a bunch of media folks in his pocket, so when he wants to quiet things down, it's a piece of cake."Plus, with Christmas and New Year's Eve on the horizon and events popping up left and right, the Sanders Group could slip off the radar without lifting a finger.However, behind the scenes, it was the Gibson Group and the Fergusons pulling the strings, though they were keeping it on the down-low."Stephen's still wrapped up in this mess? No luck with Yvonne?" Trevon asked.Daniel explained, "Ms. Lloyd's concert is the night before New Year's. We sent over the tickets, but Mr. Ferguson turned them into some kind of New Year's giveaway."Trevon was at a loss for words."Yvonne's not his old flame, and he's this cold?"Daniel bit his lip, thinking, 'Lydia was your first love, and you're not exactly hung up on her either, are you?' However, it was clear Stephen had it bad for Madeline.Trevon flexed his good hand. "Let them know
The painting was a regular landscape, a bit aged but not an antique or a historical piece.All it needed was some standard care and restoration.Madeline turned to Willa and said, "Your turn."Willa was taken aback. She had not expected to be put on the spot like that.Madeline did not see what the big deal was. Noticing Willa's hesitation, she asked, "Something wrong?"Willa shook her head quickly, took Madeline's seat, and got to work on the painting.However, the mood in the live stream shifted as some viewers started to grumble.[Why's the sidekick doing the work? Can't the main act handle it? What's she even doing here?][What's her role? To look pretty? That face is just here to reel us in, isn't it?][This is the provincial museum's stream, right? Are they really stooping to such cheap tricks to get views?][We came here for a glimpse of genuine artifact restoration, not to stare at a pretty face!][Seriously, has the state museum run out of staff? Why use a pretty fa
The director flashed a cue card that said 'Introduce the painting'.Madeline's eyes lit up with understanding as she turned to the painting and said softly, "This piece is a Renaissance Primavera. Primavera paintings, part of the flora and fauna genre, were pretty common during the Renaissance. Looking at it now—""How can you be so sure it's from the Renaissance? You're just making that up without any proof, aren't you?"A voice interrupted her.Madeline glanced up to find Hector leaning casually against the doorframe, an eyebrow cocked and a look of disdain on his face.Madeline was at a loss for words, puzzled about why Hector was even there. However, from the tone of his voice, it was clear he was there to stir up trouble.She turned to the director, only to see his eyes gleam as he quickly aimed the camera at Hector.Their live streams were usually so peaceful, lacking a bit of spice.Hector's challenge was perfectly timed.The moment Hector's face hit the live stream, a
However, the staff had no luck finding hydrogen peroxide anywhere. It was as if all the bottles in Redenbaugh City had vanished into thin air overnight.Madeline's gaze instinctively shifted to Hector.He smirked, one eyebrow quirked in a challenge.She said nothing, but she was sure he had something to do with the missing hydrogen peroxide.Did he know about her live broadcast and decide to foil her plans? How petty could he get?Madeline rolled her eyes at him, speechless.Meanwhile, the director was freaking out.The live stream was a hit, but with Madeline stalled, the viewers were getting restless and starting to doubt her skills.Baxter had just chewed out the staff over the phone, blaming them for the slip-up.Who would have guessed that hydrogen peroxide would be impossible to find in all of Redenbaugh City?He had to sneak a question to Madeline. Was there any way out of that?Hydrogen peroxide was the go-to fix, however…"This method's pretty risky, and most folks
She dampened the towel and wrapped it tightly around the area where the bird's 'poisoning' was at its worst, making a ring.Next, she poured in the fiery alcohol.Holding a water-dipped brush, Madeline gave Willa the nod to bring the heat. Willa, lighter in hand, was frozen solid, too scared to even twitch.Madeline gave her a comforting smile. "Relax, I've got this."It took an eternity for Willa to work up the nerve and spark a flame.The fire flared up, and Willa nearly burst into tears.However, Madeline was as cool as a cucumber, guiding the brush with gentle flicks, expertly controlling the burn.Once the 'poison' was purged, she slapped on a wet towel and snuffed out the flames.The scorched traces left by the alcohol had vanished, leaving the surface pristine and snow-white.Hector was taken aback by Madeline's unexpected expertise, grinding his teeth in frustration.It made sense why Yash was so keen on mentoring her, not even fazed by the prospect of failure.As Ma
Madeline lingered for a moment, then a small smile played on her lips.That was for the best.Their relationship had been a mistake from the start. Drifting apart was the natural course for them.Madeline's lunchbox was packed with more food than she could eat alone, so she waved Willa over to join her.Willa had seen Trevon drop off lunch for Madeline before and felt a pang of jealousy."Madeline, isn't Mr. Gibson eating with us?" she asked.Madeline shook her head. "He's tied up with work at the office. Don't worry about him."Willa relaxed and sat down, comforted by the fact that Trevon would not be joining them."Man, Mr. Gibson's life is something else. His hands were all bloody, and he still rushed off to work."Madeline paused, recalling the sight of him leaving with a streak of red on his right hand.She gripped her spoon a little tighter.It was her fault he got hurt.Madeline lowered her head.…[Don't forget to change Mr. Gibson's bandages.]Daniel chuckled at