Madelyn averted her gaze and said, "Zach, I hope you can change your arrogant attitude. Their lives matter, too. Regardless of who badmouths me in the future, you don't need to care. This is my business; you just need to care for your own. I can take care of myself. I don't need a single penny from you."She pulled away from him and continued, "I'll return to my room. You can have breakfast by yourself."Just as she took a step forward, she suddenly fainted."Madelyn!" Zach cried before catching her in time. His first instinct was to check her breathing as he ordered, "Call an ambulance!"A servant replied, "Yes, sir. I'll do it immediately!"'Why did she faint for no reason?' Zach thought.When she arrived at the hospital, Kai gave her a checkup."Nothing's wrong. Madelyn's just overly exhausted," Kai answered. He then looked at Zach with furrowed brows, "Where have you been spending all that money of yours? You knew her health was terrible, and you still let her go through a w
Cecilia was not a threat to Zach. He was more interested in the person supporting her. Whoever allowed Cecilia to become so brazen merely wanted to take control of Jardin Corporation. He had allowed her to do so just to see how much the person backing her was willing to sacrifice. The current Jardin Corporation was more complex than it seemed, and Cecilia did not have the ability to shoulder all of it.Zach stared at Madelyn and said, "When will you give me some peace of mind? You never needed to compare yourself to her."His hand brushed Madelyn's face as he felt the warmth of her body. She continued to sleep. Zach observed her while trying to etch every feature of her face into his mind. Since they received their marriage certificate, Madelyn had never worn her wedding band. She did not want to, and Zach did not force her.When Madelyn woke up, her throat was hoarse. It was already nighttime, and she had no clue how long she had slept. As her head was spinning, a hand came and hel
Kai sighed and covered for her. He placed the medicine onto Zach's hands and advised him, "Your wife wouldn't take her medication and doesn't want to get well. Talk to her. I won't meddle in this anymore."Then, he whispered to Zach, "Everything can be discussed with. She's still young, so treat her like a child."It was true that Zach was already more than thirty years old while Madelyn was still in her twenties. He could have been her uncle at that age. The age gap caused them to not have many common topics to talk about. Hence, Zach had no choice but to compromise.After Kai left, Madelyn and Zach were left alone in the room. Compared to the lively atmosphere outside with fireworks and firecrackers, the room was filled with a heavy atmosphere. Madelyn poured a cup of water from a jug nearby. It was already cold, but she still drank from it. Zach furrowed his brows and stopped her. He said, "Lie down and rest. I'll go boil some water."Before Zach had achieved his current status,
"You can do the discharge procedures later," the nurse said.Zach put on his coat and ordered Kevin, "Pack everything and prepare to handle the discharging procedure."Kevin obliged, "Yes, Mr. Jardin."Zach was looking for Madelyn's clothes and wanted to help her change. However, Madelyn refused, "You should go out. I can change myself.""You haven't fully recovered, so there is no need to be so headstrong," Zach interrupted her. Madelyn did not resist. After he had his fun, he carried her out of the hospital.Before they left, Kai gave Madelyn a box of medicines. He said, "You mentioned that you couldn't sleep well. This medication can ease your symptoms while the other raises your immunity."Madelyn did not accept it, so Kai took one pill and ate it himself. After being assured of its safety, he put the box of medicines in her hands and said, "When you get home, take care of yourself, eat your meals, and take your medication."Kai tapped her forehead lightly and said, "You can
Madelyn thought to herself, 'Me? Delicate? In the previous lifetime, you never saw me like that. You always put me down back then.'Madelyn embraced Zach, resting against him. She only did so because fighting back seemed useless. She wished things with Zach had never happened, but she had already given up on him.Zach, worried Madelyn might be bored, chatted with her. Maybe Kai's advice helped him. Even though there was a big gap between him and Madelyn, Zach believed he could bridge it.Zach said, "No one has ever worn those wedding dresses. I made each one myself."Madelyn was surprised, thinking, 'He made them himself?' Her heart raced, faster than the calm heartbeat she felt against Zach's chest.Zach continued, "I made them when you left three years ago. If I really cared about Cecilia, I wouldn't have divorced Yvonne. You're upset about what I did to the Arnold family, so I'm trying to fix it. Ethan's death has nothing to do with me. The Arnold residence and corporation are
Madelyn knew that Zach was different in this lifetime. He no longer pushed her to the brink of despair. She acknowledged his past actions and had even been moved by him at times. However, whenever she thought of Dalton, she told herself that it was all just his trickery, a way to manipulate her into compliance.She had nearly forgotten that Zach's greatest talent was manipulating emotions. Despite everything, she could not forgive him.Back in her room, Madelyn took out a pill, thinking, 'Zach, you're not the only one with schemes! This is my last chance to leave. I've had enough of your game, pretending to comply.'The next morning was typical for the holiday season, unremarkable compared to those moments at the Jent residence.While brushing Madelyn's hair, Zach said, "The visiting ladies are from our partner companies. If they bother you, we can send them away."Madelyn, watching him in the mirror, replied, "They brought many gifts and I've stored them in the warehouse. Perhaps
'Since he wants me to be an obedient Mrs. Jardin, I'll just play the role,' Madelyn thought to herself.When Zach left the room, Madelyn's phone vibrated with a message from Kennedy about work. She took her phone to the dressing room.Zach had replaced her old phone with a custom model he made for her, discarding the old one as outdated. Madelyn suspected he had installed monitoring software on this new phone to track her movements and intercept messages.She would not have known about Zach's intrusive tactics if Kennedy had not mentioned them, reminiscent of his behavior from five years ago.Madelyn retrieved her secret phone, filled with information Kennedy sent her.Kennedy's message read, [I found what you were looking for. Andrew never left the country, but the Stewart family seems to have hidden his whereabouts. The servants said he stayed home after treatment and never left again. His medical records indicate organ failure, an incurable disease. I fear he may be dead.]'He
After leaving the room, Madelyn wiped her hand, the one she had used to touch Zach's face, and her smile faded instantly.In the room, Zach took out his phone and opened his monitoring program. It showed that about fifteen minutes earlier, Madelyn had contacted Kennedy for work-related matters.Zach encrypted access to Madelyn's frequently used email address. The trash folder was empty, but his monitoring program had a recovery function. As he was about to use it, he paused, his deep and gloomy eyes betraying no emotion.As night approached, the company's delayed annual banquet was about to begin.Kai had wanted to have dinner with Zach during the holiday, but Zach had coldly refused.Zach personally picked out a suitable, warm dress for Madelyn. It was a slim, velvet long gown that covered her completely. She also wore Zach's suit jacket over it. Despite the thickness of the dress, Madelyn looked slender and graceful.Madelyn chose not to wear earrings, finding them too heavy. S