Daniel laid out the last three years of Madeline's financial ins and outs."Here's the breakdown of Mrs. Gibson's earnings for the past three years. The hefty chunks came from selling her paintings, mostly during her first year of marriage. Later on, the cash flow was mostly smaller transfers from a buddy named Yeneth, one thousand here, three thousand there. Not big amounts, but they came through pretty often. Other than that, Mrs. Gibson didn't have any other income."So, it was clear as day—Riley had not contributed a dime to Madeline's finances. Madeline's life, which looked good on the surface, was actually funded by her mother's art and her own hustle.Trevon's face was a storm of colors, anger and shock battling for dominance. "Then where the heck did the extra seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars from my account vanish every month!"When he got back in the business saddle, Riley had been siphoning off a cool seven hundred and fifty thousand a month, claiming it was for
Madeline had been swamped with work all day at home. By the time she checked her phone and saw Yeneth's message, night had fallen.Yeneth had sent a screenshot with a ranting voice message. "Can you believe her? Showing off her new ring like it's no big deal, as if she's not worried about being outed as the mistress."The screenshot showed Lydia's latest post. "The salesperson said this ring means 'faithful love.' Mr. Gibson, that's exactly how I feel about you."Accompanying the post was a photo of a ring being slipped onto a finger. The hand placing the ring, Madeline knew instantly, belonged to Trevon. His fingers were long and well-defined, the middle one calloused from years of writing. Madeline responded with an indifferent detachment. "Looks nice. And she's not exactly a mistress, so let's not call her that anymore.""How can you say that? She's totally the mistress. She knew Trevon was married and still got involved. If she's not a mistress, what is she?"Trevon's just a
His response was met with a pillow to the face.Madeline, livid, hurled it straight at him. The blow actually hurt Trevon, who quickly snatched the pillow away and seized Madeline's hand, pinning her to the bed. "Madeline, I'm warning you, stop pushing my buttons!"In doing so, he yanked away the blanket, leaving her completely bare.Madeline was a mix of rage, frustration, and shame, and she broke down crying."Trevon, you're a creep! A jerk! A total loser! Why don't you just drop dead!" She sobbed uncontrollably, her words laced with venom.Trevon felt like his head was about to explode with frustration, unable to focus on Madeline's seductive presence. "Enough," he snapped.Madeline's glare could have cut glass, her tears still falling steadily. His anger dissipated, replaced by a softer tone, "I didn't mean to. How was I to know you'd change without shutting the door?"I've seen it all. It's not like I can gouge my eyes out for you. Or maybe I should strip too, let you have
The next morning, Madeline and Trevon opened their doors at the exact same moment, as if drawn by an unseen force. The instant Madeline laid eyes on him, she let out a derisive snort and averted her gaze.Trevon's jaw tightened with annoyance. She could really get under his skin.There was Madeline, sipping her water, when Trevon approached, his expression icy. "You were home all day and couldn't even clean up a bit? This place is a disaster. And make sure you wash the clothes I left out."Madeline, barely out of bed and already in a sour mood, responded with a sharp "hmph" and slammed her water glass down on the table. "Mr. Gibson, I'm not your maid."Trevon shot back, "You're the one who said you didn't need a maid, that you could handle it."She had said that, had she not? Madeline wished she could go back in time and give herself a good slap. "Regardless, I'm done with it now!""You!"Without another word, Madeline slammed the door shut, leaving Trevon to stew. He could grin
Madeline gave a nod. "I'll see if my senior, Caleb, has a moment."Yeneth teased, "Look at you, casually hitting up your senior. I like it."Madeline shot her a look. "Cut the snark. He was a huge help while I was in the hospital. Without him, everyone would've known about the baby. I owe him thanks.""Don't give me that. You can't tell me you're clueless about how he feels." Yaneth said.That was the unspoken crush that had not wavered since their college days.Madeline paused, her voice softening. "You know my deal. No money, a sick mom to care for. If Madam Gibson hadn't pushed for it, using the excuse of chasing away bad luck, I'd never have made it into the Gibson family."Three years on, nothing's better. Now I'm a divorced mom with a kid in tow. Think I stand a chance with the Jabs family, another high-society clan?""Who knows, maybe the Jabs are different from the Gibsons. Plus, you're a senior..."Madeline quickly covered her mouth. "All these fancy families, scratch
So, her heartfelt plea was all about getting those papers.Madeline could not help but smile at the irony. "With all your charm, Ms. Sanders, why don't you ask grandma yourself? You're so devoted to Mr. Gibson, and with grandma's soft spot for her grandson, she's bound to say yes."Lydia's fists were balled up tight as she spat out, "So, Madeline, you're really not going to do us this solid? How can you be so wrapped up in yourself? Your selfishness is screwing all three of us over!"The whole table was stunned into silence by her outburst."Ugh, I'm about to hurl my dinner." Yeneth could not take it anymore and blurted out, "Will you let us eat in peace!"Caleb signaled for the waiter. "Could we get a quiet booth, please?"The waiter, looking sorry, quickly bowed and went to set it up. Trevon dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "Forget it." Lydia opened her mouth to argue, but Trevon's frosty stare stopped her abruptly. She was seething inside. She was always the one f
The news was a ray of hope for Madeline, but the looming concern was the cost. Don't stress about the money. You can pay me back whenever you're able to."Madeline winced inwardly, thirty thousand dollars for the medicine was way beyond her means."However, there's something I'd like to ask you," Caleb said, changing the subject."My mentor is really interested in your mom's condition and wants to examine it closely. The hospital records I've seen are only recent. Is there any chance you could dig up her older medical records?"Madeline paused, recalling the stack of papers tucked away in Bella's belongings."I'll get them sorted out and to you today," she promised.Caleb nodded, his gratitude evident.Madeline softly shook her head. "The thanks should really come from me. I don't know who your mentor is, but they must be something special. Having such an amazing doctor look after my mom's condition is a true gift."She blushed slightly. "You've done so much for me, and I feel
Madeline paused, at a loss for words, and could only offer a smile.Edith caught the awkwardness of her previous comment and quickly corrected herself, addressing Yanick, "You better stick around this time. Your mom's lined up a bunch of dates for you. Time to meet some ladies and settle down."Yanick's skin crawled at the thought, but he leaned in with a cheeky smile, "Not a fan of those girls. I think Madeline's pretty great."His eyes flicked over Madeline as he spoke.Madeline tensed up. What kind of nonsense was he spouting? Before she could gather her thoughts, Yanick went on, "Grandma even had the tarot cards read to find me the right one."So that's what he was getting at? Madeline let out a relieved breath.Edith chuckled. "You're okay with that? Then I might just find the perfect day to trek up the mountain and see what the tarot cards say."Yanick leaped to his feet. "After seeing the Northern Lights, Grandma claims she's old but now she's more spry than ever, ready t