Chapter 11

Madelyn went to her room, took off her dirty clothes, and stood in front of her wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear. Through the thin wall, she could hear Zach's voice from outside.

"I have urgent business at the company this time. If I finish early, I'll come back to you," Zach said.

Jadie replied understandingly, "I'm okay, Zach. Go take care of your business. I'll wait for you here."

"Okay. If you get tired, you can sleep in my room. I just changed the sheets and blankets."

"Alright, I'll remember that."

After Zach's footsteps faded away, Madelyn thought he had left. But suddenly, the door swung open, and she got startled. Madelyn blushed and held her dress close. Zach stood by the door, briefly looking at her before averting his gaze. Madelyn, who was eighteen, had a nice figure compared to other girls her age.

Madelyn felt nervous. In her previous life, they had been married for years, shared countless intimate moments; there was no part of her that Zach had not seen. But for some reasons, in that very moment, her heart fluttered. It was as if she was exposed to Zach for the first time, and she couldn't help but wonder if he had caught a glimpse of her just now.

Without turning around, she quickly slipped into her skirt and tried to regain composure. "Brother, do you need something?"

Zach pulled out a card from his pocket and placed it on the table. "Here's a shopping card from our business partners. If you need anything, clothes, jewelry, you can use it. You and Jadie each have one."

"Thanks, brother."

Zach closed the door. He stood still for a moment. A primal urge stirred within him.

After a few seconds, Zach walked away. He got into the car with the meeting documents and started the engine. When he thought about Madelyn's body, he held the steering wheel tighter for a moment, but then he quickly shook off the image.

'Madelyn? Only if I were out of my mind!'

Zach suppressed the turmoil within him, pressed the accelerator, and sped away from the Jent residence.

Meanwhile, Madelyn had finished her homework in her room and was getting ready to take a break when she opened her door and saw Jadie coming up the stairs. They looked at each other, feeling a bit awkward since they were not familiar with each other. Madelyn felt guilty about what happened to Jadie in her previous life, but now she just wanted to keep things polite and distant. She thought they could stay together for a while and then go their separate ways.

Breaking the silence, Madelyn said, "Hi Jadie, you're..."

Jadie smiled softly and interrupted, "I'm cleaning up Zach's room, getting rid of things he doesn't need."

Madelyn nodded. "Okay, you carry on. I'll head downstairs for a drink." With that, she started going down the stairs. Her slippers were making a soft thud with each step. But just as she was about to step onto the third stair, Jadie's voice reached her.

"Madelyn, I know you fancy Zach. But don't worry, I won't compete with you for him."

Madelyn responded calmly without turning around, "I don't like Zach anymore. He's just my brother now. If you two want to be together, I'll be happy for you." She really meant it. Cecilia had managed to become Zach's lover and wife because she looked like Jadie. To set things right in this life, Madelyn wanted to help Zach and Jadie be together.

As Madelyn made her way downstairs without wasting any time, she arrived in the kitchen and helped herself to a glass of water. While standing there, her eyes unintentionally fell upon a heap of discarded trash near the door. Among the items, she spotted the pink teddy bear she had given Zach as a birthday gift, which symbolized her presence in his life. She had assured Zach that the bear would always be there for him when she couldn't be. As she held the glass of water, her hand trembled slightly with mixed emotions.

'In my past life, it was Cecilia who discarded this bear. Now, it's Jadie. Maybe it's just fate," she mused.