Madeline knew better than to push further.However, to her surprise, Yvonne spun around and hurried back, sniffling as she confessed, "I've got a concert in two days. I can't afford to get sick."Madeline was at a loss for words."I'm freezing," Yvonne whimpered.Madeline was speechless again.Luckily, before Madeline could react, Stephen appeared with a thick coat in hand—Yvonne's coat.Once bundled up, Yvonne's warmth returned, and she grudgingly mumbled her thanks while still avoiding eye contact with Stephen.Stephen, a bit helpless, offered, "Come on. I'll drive you home."Yvonne hummed, not objecting, but her eyes darted between Madeline and Stephen, clearly trying to figure out what was going on between them.Why was he so attentive to a woman who was expecting?She had not caught wind of Stephen tying the knot.Then, there was Trevon.Why on earth had Trevon sent her an invite?It was all a big mess. She just could not wrap her head around it.Even after hopping i
After her explanation, Yvonne took a moment to gauge their reactions.Madeline was poker-faced, impossible to read, but Stephen could not hide his scoff.Yvonne was left scratching her head at their responses.What was that all about?Stephen cut to the chase. "Just keep your distance from Trevon, alright?"A thrill shot through Yvonne. Was he actually concerned about her?A wistful sadness crossed her face. "You think I have any power to fight back? I'm just a singer with no influence or connections. Trevon's the money man. If he says to go west, I wouldn't dare to head east."Yvonne nearly jumped out of her skin when she got Trevon's invite.She had never even met the guy, but out of the blue, her agent told her to switch her concert to Redenbaugh City.She was not thrilled about it."The big shot financier calls the shots," her agent explained.That was when it hit her. The Gibson Group had thrown a ton of sponsorship cash her way, with one string attached—she had to play
Amelia massaged her swollen ankle, looking up through tears to glare at Trevon.She was sure that he had not even tried to catch her.If he had not popped up out of nowhere, she would not have crashed into him and hit the ground, right?Trevon did not even bother to offer her a hand. That was just too much!However, with all the whispers she had heard about Trevon, Amelia bit back her anger, her eyes watery as she said, "Trevon, my foot's killing me."Trevon's frown was a deep crease on his forehead. He was planning to pass her off to Daniel, but Riley was already there with Austin in tow.Riley was clearly annoyed. "What are you waiting for? Help Amelia up now!"Trevon stayed put.Daniel got a couple of waitresses to help Amelia to her feet and sent someone for first aid.Her ankle was puffed up like a balloon, sending sharp jolts of pain with every little move.Austin winced in empathy. "This looks bad. We need to get her to a hospital.""Yeah, better safe than sorry in ca
After a quick nod to Jay, Trevon rushed to the entrance, but Madeline was gone.He gripped his phone tighter.It had to be Stephen's doing. It was always Stephen!Why was he not obsessing over Yvonne like he was supposed to?With a mix of reluctance and desperation, Trevon dialed Madeline's number.It rang twice and clicked. She had hung up.A shiver ran through him, and he spun around to grab a car, determined to find Madeline himself.However, as luck would have it, Cilix blocked his path. "Mr. Gibson, got a second?"Trevon barely glanced at him. "If you're here to chat about the Sanders Group's latest mess, save your breath."Cilix's frown deepened. "Considering the Sanders Group has a stake in Madeline, not to mention Madam Gibson's seventy-five million dollar investment, I'd say it's pretty relevant to you. Look, someone's playing dirty, and you can't just sit this one out."The Sanders Group's mess was not really that tough to crack.Once they got the media on a leash
Yvonne had to have a screw loose!Madeline was not totally convinced of that, suddenly feeling a twinge of doubt. Was that Trevon really the Trevon she knew?From what she understood, Trevon was not the type to engage in shady dealings.Was she getting worked up over nothing, or was Trevon not even hinting at anything?"Trevon's the one sponsoring my concert this time, and I'm seriously freaked out," Yvonne sobbed.Madeline could not help but smirk. Her anger had been justified after all.Stephen massaged his throbbing head and pulled Yvonne along.For some reason, Yvonne suddenly grabbed onto Madeline's hand. "I won't go. I won't go back. I don't want to!"Not wanting to hurt Madeline, Stephen had no choice but to release his grip. "So, what do you want to do?"Yvonne's eyes darted around before she wrapped her arms around Madeline's. "I want to stay with her!"Madeline and Stephen were at a loss for words.Somehow, Yvonne ended up following her back upstairs. Madeline felt
Madeline's drowsiness was cut in half, and she could not help but chuckle. "You're glued to my side and crashing here just to ask me that?"Yvonne stayed silent.She could not help it. The thought of Madeline with Stephen was driving her crazy.What a web of lies she had woven. Yvonne's agent, Mandy Roanoke, would have a field day with that one.Asking Stephen directly was off the table.Madeline propped herself up, curiosity piqued. "Before I dive into that, what's the deal with you and Stephen?"Yvonne shot Madeline a quick look and mumbled, "It's nothing big... We were each other's first love, I guess."She added, with a hint of defiance, "Well, I was his first, but maybe it wasn't the same the other way around."As she spoke, she gave the strawberry bear's ear an indignant little tug."You're still into him, aren't you? You want to get back with him," Madeline said with certainty.Yvonne frowned. "Hey, I was the one asking you questions. How did this get turned around on
Mandy's breakfast tumbled from her hands in shock. What on earth was Trevon doing there?Could it be true? Yvonne had hinted that Trevon was planning to pull some shady move on her.How else could Mandy make sense of what was happening right then? She needed a hero, and fast!At that moment, Madeline was jolted awake by the persistent ring of the doorbell. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, swung the door open, and was met with the sight of two people locked in a mutual glare. She could not help but feel thrown for a loop.What in the world was going on?She caught Trevon's eye, who was obviously roused from sleep too, and he was not happy about it.Madeline's eyes darted around before she bravely asked Mandy, "And you are?"Mandy, catching sight of Madeline's pregnant figure, was thrown into even deeper confusion.She had pictured a friend like Yvonne, a carefree young woman, not someone expecting a baby like Madeline.It was just that Yvonne always seemed like a girl who re
Yvonne and Mandy were gobsmacked. Mandy, a little slow on the uptake, finally pieced together the rumors she had heard about Trevon cheating while married. Sure, the stories were cleared up later, but Mandy could not shake off the feeling of pity for Madeline. In their world, those so-called clarifications in the press usually meant the opposite. They had actually split up! However, why was Trevon there, looking caring and concerned about Madeline? What was the real story? That was not the juicy part.The real drama was Yvonne spilling the beans about industry secrets right in front of Trevon. She might have even dished them to Madeline the day before. Trevon clearly was not over Madeline. If Madeline got the wrong idea, would Trevon come after them? The thought turned Mandy's face a shade paler. Yvonne, on the other hand, was beet red with embarrassment. What on earth had she said in front of Madeline yesterday?"Ugh, I just can't even!"Yvonne clutched her face and da
That batch of red wine did not look too strong, but it packed a punch.As the trio kept drinking, they slowly started to feel the buzz.Yeneth, glass in hand, her cheeks a rosy red, ranted, "Don't employees' lives count for anything? Overtime, day in and day out! It's enough to wear out a horse!"That darn Camden, always harping on about performance, about profits! Is game development just about the bottom line? What happened to the heart? Rubbish!"For a moment, she thought she saw Camden's face, and in a fit of anger, Yeneth tried to slap it away, nearly tumbling into her wine glass instead.Madeline, startled, rushed to steady her.Yeneth, still wobbly, stood up on her own, fixing Trevon with a steely gaze and said icily, "You're just another greedy capitalist."Trevon sat there, calm and collected, but his delayed movements and the occasional glint of bewilderment in his eyes betrayed his inebriation to Madeline.When Yeneth spoke up, he turned his head slowly, locking eyes
Madeline, caught up in the conversation with Caleb and Yeneth, turned around in shock at Trevon's question.He had just declared he would not touch a drop, and he was suddenly reaching for the wine?However, she let it go without a question.The red wine was smooth and inviting. If he felt like drinking, why not?Trevon grunted a greeting into his phone. "Mr. Caleb Jabs."Caleb snapped out of his reverie, returning the greeting with a subdued nod, his gaze deepening.Yeneth, caught between awkwardness and concern, glanced at Caleb. She was about to speak when a glamorous doctor in a white coat appeared beside him on the screen.The doctor, Camila Jervis, peered at the screen, her smile teasing. "Mr. Caleb Jabs, are you chatting with your girlfriend?"Two women were on the screen, leaving it unclear whom she meant.Caleb shook his head, offering no explanation, and instead asked, "Dr. Jervis, what's up?"Camila arched an eyebrow, not prying further. "The professor's ready to s
Yahir sipped his cola, feeling utterly dejected.He had bolted from the Lewis family feast, even at the risk of getting caught, just to pocket two bottles of Lafite.They were not the prized '1982' edition, but they were still pretty decent.His mom's constant marriage talk was a drag, but her taste in wine was impeccable. He was all set for a night of no-holds-barred drinking with Trevon.However, Trevon dragged him over to Madeline's, and under the pretext of her pregnancy, confiscated all the wine.Then, it sat tauntingly in the wine cabinet.Yahir gazed at it, each bottle seeming to whisper seductively."Come on, come have a taste."It was pure torture!He took another swig of cola."Whoa!"Yeneth's shout came out of nowhere.Yahir choked mid-sip.The cola fizz popped like fireworks in his throat, sending him into a coughing frenzy, his face flushing a deep crimson as the soda splashed across the floor.Madeline jumped at his coughing spectacle, hastily grabbing a tis
Madeline swung open the kitchen door to find Yahir wrapping his arms around Yeneth from behind, as if he could not bear to let her go.Her mind, already a whirlwind of thoughts, was completely thrown."What in the world..."Madeline was puzzled as she returned from the kitchen. She had only stepped away to make a call, and then Yeneth and Yahir were locked in an embrace.Yeneth tried to explain, "Madeline, this isn't what it looks like. I was just—"However, Yahir clamped a hand over her mouth, grinning at Madeline. "We're just playing around, Madeline. Hey, do you have any wine glasses? We need four. Let's celebrate!"Trevon stepped out from behind Madeline, his composed facade unbroken. "Lost your head? She's pregnant. Think she can drink?"Yahir smacked his forehead. "Oh, man. I totally spaced on that."Once Yeneth wriggled free, she took a deep breath and delivered a sharp kick to Yahir's leg. "Get off me!"She kicked with all her might, hitting Yahir's shin and sending a
At that moment, Trevon seemed to freeze, then he straightened his posture. "Madeline, Liam's role is to be your close protection, to ensure your safety."Madeline had faced too many close calls, and he could not shake his concern for her.However, she was fiercely independent. If it were up to him, he would keep her tethered to his side.Madeline let out a derisive snort. She knew Xoan well enough to know he could dig up information on Yoana, but not with such speed and precision.Xoan claimed Liam was the one who had lent a hand.Madeline knew Liam. That had Trevon's fingerprints all over it."Do you really think I've become so dim-witted from pregnancy that I can't think straight?"Trevon looked at her, a mix of frustration and affection in his eyes.She had once been so sweet and compliant. Then, she became so sharp and quick-witted, a match even for him.However, he preferred her that way."Madeline, I'm just looking out for you."Trevon had an insatiable need to know ev
"Madeline, I've got the scoop on Yoana," Xoan said.Madeline was taken aback. "So soon?"Xoan let out a sly chuckle. "It wouldn't have been this quick, but Liam lent us a hand."Madeline stole a quick look at Trevon, then cast her gaze downward.Fifteen years back, Yoana was forced out of the Sanders Group—a victim of Cilix's cunning plot.It was not just a simple resignation as Bella had naively believed. Yoana was secretly saddled with a mountain of debt.Cilix did not stop there. He tarnished Yoana's name throughout the industry.She could not land a respectable job to save her life.Her personal life was total chaos.Her husband, Jim Livingston, who was once a low-level office worker, had dived into business on the back of Yoana's earnings and made a pretty penny.However, when the bill came due, Yoana hit a wall. Jim had sent all his cash back to his folks, leaving peanuts behind.Yoana was floored. A decade of hard work, and not a dime to show for it.When she begged
Madeline swung the door open to find Trevon on her doorstep, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown.Before she could get a word out, Yahir popped up from behind him with a grin. "Happy New Year, Madeline!"He waved a container of homemade goodies.Those two had nearly fought that morning, and then they were as chummy as can be—though Trevon looked like he would rather be anywhere else. However, he bit his tongue and kept quiet.With the Gibsons and the Lewises all cozied up for a New Year's feast, what on earth were those two doing there?Yahir's face fell. "Madeline, you've got no idea. My mom's a force of nature. Can you believe she's still dragging me to blind dates on New Year's Eve? I just had to bail."Madeline could not help but think about Liliana's earlier enthusiasm for rallying the troops and was at a loss for words."What about you, Trevon? What brings you here?" Madeline asked.Trevon pursed his lips. He was looking a little quiet too.Edith had been on his ca
Madeline walked into her house and immediately sensed something was up. She nudged the door wider and there was Yeneth, sparking an involuntary grin on her face."I thought you were going to be hibernating today?"Yeneth had been swamped with the Skylandia project, barely getting any sleep. She had texted Madeline about sleeping in on her day off.With a shrug and a smirk, Yeneth said, "Guess I'm just wired to work. Woke up at the crack of dawn, hung around in bed not to wake you, and by the time I showed up, you were already out and about."Madeline shut the door behind her, musing aloud."I've been turning it over in my mind. All this press and pest hunting is kid's play for the Sanders Group. To really take them on, we've got to… Yank the carpet out from under them?" Yeneth's smile was the answer Madeline needed as she shared her strategy."How's that sound?"Yeneth's thumbs-up was quick, but her frown came just as fast. "Fashion's a shark tank, and jumping in now? That's r
Madeline's request left Yoana taken aback.A wry smile crossed her face. "What can I possibly help you with at my age?"Madeline grasped her hand with conviction. "No, Mrs. Reed, you're the only one who can do this favor for me."Yoana looked down, her expression unreadable, and whispered, "You're giving me too much credit. Besides, with my background, there's no way I can go back to working with the Sanders Group. I have a couple of pairs of baby shoes here. Take them as a baby shower gift for your little ones."Madeline realized Yoana had gotten the wrong idea, thinking she was there about the Sanders Group or Cilix, and felt a twinge of disappointment."Mrs. Reed, please don't reject my request just yet. I'm planning to start my own fashion label. Everything Is underway, but I'm still missing one crucial piece—a designer."Madeline shared her vision.Yoana's eyebrows shot up in surprise when she heard Madeline's vision for her new company."That sounds just like the Sanders