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
Trevon pursed his lips as he said, "I'll be right back.""I'm coming too!"He turned to Lydia, eyebrows raised in surprise.Lydia smiled sheepishly. "I mean, I'm her sister. She's in the hospital, and the Sanders family should show their faces, right?"However, Trevon was not having it.He remembered Madeline's words from the morning, laced with doubt, and decided it was best if Lydia did not show up just yet.Without another word, Trevon grabbed Simon and strode out, not once glancing back.Lydia gripped the doorframe, seething with frustration and anger.…Instead of heading straight to the hospital, Trevon made a detour to the Angelic Garden Residence.He might have been in a hurry, but he could not forget how Madeline had once cared for him. Bringing her some clothes was the least he could do.The sound of shuffling came from Madeline's bedroom. She could not have checked herself out, could she? That would be madness.With a frown, Trevon swung the door open, ready to c
In her slumber, Madeline's features softened. Her usual fierceness was gone and replaced by a delicate tranquility.If she were still her old self, their interactions would have been quite enjoyable, even more so than with Lydia.However, perhaps due to the weight of Trevon's stare, Madeline's long lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.Trevon looked away, setting the clothes he had brought on the nearby nurse's station.Recognizing him, Madeline propped herself up and leaned back against the pillows."Mr. Gibson, what brings you here?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.Trevon gritted his teeth. Was she that distant with Caleb too?Swallowing his frustration, he gestured with his chin toward the bag at the bed's head. "Grandma sent me with some fresh clothes for you."Madeline's expression changed, and a wave of red swept over her cheeks. The thought of him picking out her clothes must have felt like an invasion of her privacy.Had he seen all her soft, blush-col
After Lydia finished her shift, she made a point of going upstairs to find Trevon."Mr. Gibson was at the hospital this morning," Simon informed her."He hasn't returned?!"Simon shook his head as Lydia walked away, her spirit clearly shaken.Lydia sat in her red sedan, shrouded in darkness, and the interior lights were turned off by choice.Her face contorted with rage as she hissed, "Curse you, Madeline! Trevon is mine, and you'll never steal him away!"With that, she sped out of the garage.All seemed well until she took a corner too fast and slammed into the guardrail.The force threw Lydia forward, only to be snapped back by her seatbelt. A burst of sharp pain followed.Dazed, it took her a moment to register the concerned shouts from outside."Hey, you okay in there? Can you hear me?"A weak smile crossed Lydia's lips, tears streaming down as she dialed Trevon's number.Trevon was mid-meal when his phone rang. He stood up abruptly and asked, "You're not hurt, are you?
As the clock struck ten at night, the hospital halls fell into a hush.Madeline lifted her gaze from the computer and kindly asked the caregiver, "Could you fetch me a jug of water before you head off to bed?"She had a feeling Trevon would not return.The caregiver nodded and departed.Madeline glanced at the finished draft, pondered briefly, and sent it to Bernard.[Got the first draft done. What do you think?]Bernard's reply came swiftly. [Still up working, sis? It's late. Remember to look after yourself.]Madeline chuckled as she replied, [Looks like you're up too.]She voiced her concerns about the sketches. [I'm not convinced the action sequences are up to par. It would be awesome to see the characters duke it out in a game video.][No problem.]Madeline replied with a confused emoticon.Meanwhile, Bernard strode back into the training room, and his teammates jumped at his return."Cap?""What brings you back?"Bernard nodded, booted up his computer, and called Yah
Madeline quickly made adjustments to the sketch of the sorcerer's movements after watching Bernard's combat video.Bernard had a real knack for gaming. He had gotten the hang of the sorcerer's abilities in no time, pulling off moves that were as stylish as they were lethal.It was the perfect embodiment of a sorcerer.Once the artwork was polished and perfected, a mysterious and dangerous sorcerer seemed to spring to life from the page.Bernard sent her a flurry of thumbs-up emoticons in response.The sketch was a hit, so it was time to add color and detail.Madeline took a momentary breather when an unexpected visitor appeared in her hospital room.It was Lydia."I heard you were in the hospital, so I thought I'd drop by," she said.Madeline replied icily, "Cut the act. You know exactly why I'm here."Lydia was taken aback but kept her composure. "Madeline, what are you getting at? I'm lost."She was lost, was she? She would understand one day.Madeline did not want to was
A man with gold-rimmed glasses smiled as he announced smoothly, "Mr. Gibson has an urgent matter to attend to. Please bear with us."Without waiting for any questions, he slipped out, hot on Trevon's heels.As if he would stick around for a Q&A session. Daniel was an ace assistant—not a mind reader. How could he possibly explain Trevon's abrupt departure?After purging his stomach in the restroom, Trevon emerged to find Daniel waiting with a handkerchief at the ready.Taking it with a nod, Trevon cleaned up, washed his hands, and dialed Madeline with a scowl.The call was cut short. He tried again, only to be disconnected once more.Trevon's eyes were locked on his phone as he hit redial, his stubbornness refusing to let him back down.Madeline, clearly fed up, answered with a sharp edge to her voice. "What now?"Trevon clenched his jaw. "Is that any way to talk?"Without another word, Madeline ended the call.Trevon's gaze did not waver from the screen as he dialed her numbe
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