Ethan's grandparents liked to do botany in their free time, So, they made a big garden where they grew all sorts of flowers and plants. Right next to their huge house was an old maple tree that had been there for like 500 to 600 years – that's a super long time!The Arnold family had been in the business world for a long, long time, like a whole century. When a civil war happened, Ethan's grandparents became the leaders of the Ventropolis Chamber of Commerce. They stayed leaders for a really long time, and it was passed down through their family. The Arnolds were all about keeping old things going, like a rule that they all had to live together, unless something special happened.Ethan resided in a mansion distinct from the primary one, although it was situated in closest proximity to the primary mansion. Meanwhile, his grandparents chose to reside in a serene locale elsewhere on the estate.Madelyn had assumed Ethan would take her somewhere like the Southern Haven Villas. She wasn'
At this moment, Leyton stepped up and said, "Sir, we're running out of time."After placing the necklace on Madelyn, Ethan gazed at the moon-shaped pendant resting on her chest and grinned with joy. "Madelyn, I'm going to head back to the office for now. You relax at home, and I'll catch up with you later tonight.""Okay," said Madelyn and watched Ethan leave.George also hoped that Madelyn would stay. Ethan's illness hardly got better. The Arnold family tried their best, but they believed he wouldn't live for more than a few months. Fixing physical problems was easy, but healing emotional wounds needed time. Ethan was probably the only one who could help himself live a regular life.'Compared to Mr. Arnold's ex, I wish Madelyn stays by his side from now on!' George thought as he said, "Mr. Arnold has a room ready for you. Please follow me."Madelyn followed George and rode the elevator to the fifth floor. They stopped in front of an open room."Ms. Jent, this is your room. Mr. A
Madelyn thought, 'If an opportunity arose, I would have liked to pay Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Sr. a visit. 'After dinner, Madelyn returned to her room. She picked up her phone and checked it. Her last communication with Forrest was still from last week. 'I don't know if he's been studying diligently. Jadie got promoted to Class One through the final exam. I wonder what his grades are.'Madelyn sent a message to Forrest. [How did the exam go?]After waiting a few minutes without a reply, she decided not to wait any longer. The moment she put down her phone, the screen suddenly lit up. Madelyn thought it was a reply from Forrest. However, it was a news report about a young girl's tragic death when she checked it.[Today, there was an avalanche at the Enchanted Mountain. It trapped numerous skiing tourists on the mountain, resulting in multiple injuries and casualties. Thirty-two tourists were injured, eight died, and one is still missing. The police are still searching. The individual is
The CEO of Arnold Corporation seldom made public appearances. Private cars with chauffeurs for pick-up and drop-off were a common sight at the school entrance. The unique markings on the license plate indicated that the car belonged to the Arnold family. When they saw it, everyone made their way, even in the congestion.Madelyn got out of the car, and the people around were surprised when they saw her. Everyone in Ventrocloud High School knew she was close friends with Forrest Arnold, the illegitimate son of the Arnold family. However, they did not know that she also had connections with the heir of the Arnold family. Now, the CEO of Arnold Corporation sent Madelyn to school personally. It implied that she was already part of the Arnold family. Just by this alone, no one would dare to offend her.Facing the gazes from the crowd, Madelyn felt uncomfortable all over. "I'm going to class now."Ethan nodded, "All right, I'll pick you up after school.""Okay." Madelyn still had evening
When Madelyn returned to the classroom, everything seemed as usual. There were no noticeable differences, except for Jadie taking over her spot in the Math Olympiad team. It was also something that gave her a headache. After putting in so much effort, it all came to naught eventually.Class One's curriculum was progressing rapidly. The teachers had covered all the textbooks' content, and now everyone was in the revision phase. After being absent from school for so many days, Madelyn needed to catch up on what she had fallen behind. However, what bothered her the most was Forrest.Jadie had been in Class One for a few days now. The class's learning pace was so fast that there was hardly any time to spare. As the last morning class ended, Jadie took an opportunity and approached Madelyn during lunch break. "Madelyn, let's have lunch together!"Madelyn looked at her, "I still have something to do. You go ahead."Jadie tilted her head and noticed what she was busy about. "Study plan? W
Forrest showed up as well. As expected, this was something that caught his attention. He slammed down his backpack, nearly causing it to slide off the table. Madelyn intercepted it and set it down on the chair beside her. "Now that you're here. Let's begin."Forrest straddled the chair and crossed his legs casually.Madelyn asked, "Should we start with the tutoring or have a chat?""Can't you tell?"Madelyn smiled. She knew if she did not tell him, he probably would not be in the mood to study. There was no one in the library now. So, Madelyn took an art book from her backpack and pushed it toward him. "You're the first to see this art book besides me."Forrest flipped through the pages one by one. They were all landscapes sketched with pencil lines, and Madelyn labeled each with a location."Is it nice?" Madelyn asked."Not bad.""Besides that, what do you think is missing?""What exactly do you want to say?" Forrest asked."These are real places I want to visit. That's why
Ethan's voice was calm as he spoke, "I've mentioned before that I respect your decision. That's between him and me. It has nothing to do with you."Madelyn would not take sides or develop feelings for either of them. No matter if it was Forrest or Ethan. She belonged to herself alone."Thanks!" said Madelyn.Ethan looked down at her, "Thanks for what?"Madelyn met his gaze. "You know what I mean."Ethan smiled, "Let's go back!""Sure." Getting into the car, the heating function of the air conditioning inside quickly dispelled the cold from her body."I asked George to prepare some supper. What do you want to eat?" Ethan asked."Just have the gnocchi that Rosario made. Being frozen for too long might affect their taste.""Sure. Anything else?"Madelyn said, "That's enough. Eating a lot at night will make me gain weight."Ethan nodded with a gentle smile in his eyes. However, the smile didn't quite reach his gaze. "I'll listen to you."In the blink of an eye, Madelyn had been
Madelyn followed behind Zach. Just as they left the school gate, she received a call from Ethan. Glancing at Zach's back, Madelyn hesitated before answering, "Hello?""You have a long break starting today, right? How about I ask Leyton to pick you up and have lunch together?" asked Ethan.Madelyn said, "I... need to go to Zach's place. Rosario is ill. I want to check on her.""I see. Well, be careful on your way. You can stay a bit longer, and I'll come to pick you up in the evening.""Okay."After ending the call, Madelyn approached the car. As she was about to open the door for the back seat, Zach's cold voice came through, "Sit up front."Reluctantly, Madelyn put down her hand and settled into the front passenger seat. Suddenly, Zach, who was in the driver's seat, leaned over and fastened her seatbelt. Madelyn felt nervous and was unable to breathe. She had an ingrained fear of him. It intensified after learning about Julia's death. The car started moving slowly, and neither o