The Crystal River Clubhouse sat by the riverbank, boasting a picturesque scene.By the time Madeline arrived with the cake, the club's music was already booming.The sun had not even set, and the young crowd was already in full swing.The relentless beats grated on Madeline, who wanted nothing more than to drop off the cake and escape the chaos.Suddenly, her phone buzzed. It was Trevon."Where are you?"Madeline stepped back and let the noisy backdrop speak for itself.After a brief silence, Trevon instructed, "Stay put."Madeline was speechless. She was not about to wait around, so she left the cake with the kitchen crew and headed out.At the door, she nearly collided with Caleb as he stepped out of his car.Dressed to the nines in a crisp white suit with a red pocket square crisply folded into a triangle, he looked like a dashing prince from a fairy tale.Caleb strode over quickly. "You're not feeling well. What brings you here?"Madeline offered him a weak smile. "It's
Madeline's emotions went from shock to rage before she finally regained her composure.Yanely's statement was exactly what Madeline expected. Only the Sanders family knew she still had Bella's paintings in her possession.Lydia was crafty, already cozying up to her future sister-in-law before officially joining the family.Madeline scoffed, "Do you actually believe Lydia?"Her voice softened with a tinge of sadness. "You know my mom's really sick, right? The medical bills are through the roof. I'm broke, and all I've got to sell are her paintings. If I had any extra cash, do you think I would be living like this?"Yanely had to admit she believed it. She could not help but scorn Madeline, who was genuinely destitute.Madeline did not have a single item of clothing, jewelry, or designer bag to her name. She was nothing like the rest of their elite circle.Being stuck with such a poor sister-in-law had made Yanely the subject of many jokes.Yanely frowned, puzzled, "Why would Lyd
Madeline stopped short, then let out a soft laugh.She thought the excitement was over, but it was just getting started. It was not so much excitement as it was a farce."Sure. Lead the way."She was curious to see just how much Trevon would play favorites.The waiter headed toward the back of the house, and Madeline asked in confusion, "Why are we going to the kitchen?"The waiter grinned. "Mr. Gibson said the cake's looking a bit rough around the edges and wanted you to give it a touch-up."Madeline hesitated for a moment but then followed.She had it all wrong. She thought Trevon would pressure her about the painting, but it was just about the cake.He had not completely disappointed her, after all.The waiter opened the door to the freezer room and explained, "The cake's too big for the fridge, so we've put it in here for now. Mr. Gibson complained that the flowers on the cake were all askew and needed fixing. I'll fetch the cream for that. "Madeline, glancing at the thr
Trevon immediately tried calling Madeline."The number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."He had told Madeline to wait for him. Where could she have gone?"Head to the security office."Trevon was met by the Crystal River Club's manager, Gary Long, a man in his thirties who was visibly sweating bullets."Mrs. Gibson left the club ten minutes ago. After that, the security footage... It's just vanished."The Crystal River Club was no stranger to trouble. Their security was breached previously during a scandal involving a high-profile heiress from Redenbaugh City.That did not bode well.Trevon's fingers twitched with unease as he instructed Simon, "Get in touch with the Transportation Department. Find out if Madeline left the area. What was she driving?"Simon, caught off guard, nodded and fumbled with his phone, unsure of his next move. With no better option, he dialed Daniel, who was all the way in Ameristan, with a heavy heart.The commotion
Madeline's eyes fluttered open to the harsh glare of a hospital room. It took her a moment to adjust to the brightness and regain her bearings.The thought of her unborn child sent her into a panic, and she sat up too quickly, sending the medical tubes into a noisy chaos."My baby!"Yeneth, jolted from her nap at the bedside, quickly asked, "Madeline, you're awake! Are you in pain anywhere?"Madeline's grip tightened on her hand. "Yeneth, the baby? Is my baby still..."Her voice wavered from worry to doubt, and then fear."The baby's fine. Just relax," Yeneth reassured her.Madeline let out a relieved sigh and eased back onto the pillow.Before she could say more, Trevon entered the room with Edith in tow."Madeline, sweetheart, you're awake."Edith's eyes were puffy and red, a testament to her tears. She gently pressed Madeline back down and held her hand tightly, as if she could transfer her strength through their touch."You really took the bullet for Yanely this time. Wh
Trevon's brow creased ever so slightly. "He hurt someone, so the cops have him now."She was silent for a moment before pressing on. "I want to see him."Trevon finally met her icy stare, realizing she did not seem to have any insider knowledge."I'll take care of what happened yesterday. You're not in the best shape, and that chill's really gotten to you. The doctor says you need a couple more days in the hospital. Don't worry about anything else."Madeline glared at Trevon. "So, is it that I shouldn't worry or that I'm not allowed to?"Trevon's hand twitched, his voice turning frosty. "Do you not realize you'd be dead from the cold if I were just a few minutes late yesterday? This isn't your concern. Just focus on getting better.""How can it not be my concern when I was nearly killed?"Madeline's voice dripped with disdain. The whole thing was laughable.Yanely might be the Gibson family's cherished daughter, but she avoided involvement in the family business. Who was desper
Caleb rushed in at the sound, taking in the mess. "Madeline, stay put. Don't move."He could not find her assigned nurse and had to grab someone from a different ward to tidy up.He lifted Madeline back onto the bed, his voice laced with concern. "You're still weak. You should be resting. Anything you need, just buzz for the nurse."Madeline offered a sheepish smile. "I just wanted some water.""That's what nurses are for. Where's yours, by the way?"The private ward nurses were supposed to be on call one-to-one. He had made a point of it just yesterday. Where had she gone?The nurse rushed in, breathless with apologies. "I'm so sorry. Mr. Gibson said they didn't need me, so I left."The nurse was almost in tears. The job was a godsend, and losing it would be a disaster.Madeline's face was pale.Caleb frowned as he said, "Enough. It's no big deal. Go grab a pitcher of water, will you?"The nurse hurried off with the pitcher in hand.A brief silence settled in the room befor
Trevon bit his lip, forcing himself to recover from the shock of the memory.As he looked down at Lydia, who was crying so pitifully, his heart felt heavy.Feeling his stare, Lydia's sobs grew louder. "Trevon, please, for the sake of our childhood, help me. I can't face prison."The bond of their childhood, was it?Trevon's mind wandered back to his childhood days.His dad had just died, and they were back in his hometown for the funeral. He bolted from the somber service and ended up taking a hard spill, his hands and knees bloody.However, he did not want to go back, so he walked around aimlessly.A little girl in a pink princess dress froze when she saw him, her eyes wide with concern. "Hey! You're hurt!"She was not scared off by his messy state. Instead, she hurried over and asked, "Does it hurt, mister?"Trevon pulled his hand away.The girl plopped down on the ground.She did not cry, though. She just got up and said, "That must hurt. I know when I take a fall, it hur