Ethan took a bite and said, "Not bad."Most of the time at the Arnold residence, Ethan usually went along with Madelyn's wishes. This was all just to impress Hayson.Ethan spoke up, "Back at home, I never saw you treat me this well. Why are you being so kind today?" His gaze was fixed on her, intense and unwavering, making it hard to look away. To others, his look seemed far from innocent.By 'home,' Ethan was clearly referring to the Arnold residence. Madelyn found herself in an unfamiliar situation, unsure of how to respond. Gathering her courage, she replied, "Here, you're a guest, so naturally, we treat you well. Come on, eat before it cools down and loses its flavor."This meal turned out to be the longest one Madelyn had ever experienced, stretching on for a full two hours. People got pretty drunk; Hayson brought out his prized red wine, worth tens of thousands of dollars, as well as white wine. Three of them managed to empty the bottles.Hayson was helped back to his room t
"But you didn't really need to do all this... Even if you didn't give us anything, you'd still be my best..." She couldn't finish the last word, "friend", because a big firework popped in the night sky, making it all golden and bright. Right when it started, one after another, families everywhere started lighting up fireworks. The fireworks were so colorful and pretty, and they lit up Ethan's face. He looked out the window at the fireworks, like he was lost in thinking.Madelyn turned around, holding the hangover soup in her hands. She remembered what George had said and decided to wait until he felt better before talking about it."Finish the hangover soup first, then we can go see the fireworks?"Ethan smiled. "Sure."At the Jent residence, they sat on a swing under a tree in the backyard, watching the fireworks light up the sky at night."During special times like this, my favorite thing is sitting here, swinging on this swing, and watching the fireworks. I used to wish I cou
Ethan chuckled. "Yep, awesome." In Ventropolis, the Arnold family was in charge, and he did not want to mess up again. "Will you stay with me, Madelyn?" He looked at Madelyn with his deep amber eyes, making her feel like she was being pulled in.Madelyn felt a little panic. "Haven't I always been around?""You know what I'm asking."Madelyn pretended not to understand. "What do you mean?"Ethan touched Madelyn's curly hair, looking into her eyes with care. His fingers moved down her face and gently lifted her chin. As he leaned closer, he suddenly covered her eyes with his hand. Everything turned black for her, but then she felt a soft touch on her lips.Madelyn was startled, her eyes wide open. She felt a gentle kiss on her lips. They were close, both of their hearts beating fast. On the ground, their shadows looked like they were dancing together.That night, the moon seemed extra bright and kind.Leyton drove Ethan home. Ethan had sobered up, but it was not safe for him to
"What are you talking about?" Madelyn asked.Zach picked her up and tossed her onto the bed. Madelyn's head hit the pillow, and in the dim light of the moon, she looked up at the tall figure of Zach looming over her. He removed his jacket and leaned down toward her."Did you like the fireworks? Need a reminder of what went on?"As she tried to sit up, he pulled her legs, making her lie back down. He leaned in, planting strong, wild kisses on her neck."Are you jealous, Zach? Why should you be? Remember what Hayson told you today. At dinner, you could tell Father wanted me to impress Ethan. If Ethan finds out, the Arnold family and Father will both be after you! Be careful, Zach. You might mess up all your plans with what you're doing now."He stopped and propped himself up. His eyes were dark, and he looked at her with a mean smile. "So what? The thing I want to do doesn't stop me from doing what I need to do now." For a moment, he thought of overpowering her and forcing himself o
"Zach Jardin! How can you say that without feeling ashamed?""Be good."After spending more than an hour in the bathroom, Madelyn's pent-up tension finally went away. She felt completely tired. Zach helped her out of the bathtub, wrapped her in a towel, and dried her hair. She fell onto the pillow, snuggling naturally into the center of the bed.In the middle of the night, a wave of heat washed over her. She wanted to kick off the covers, but it felt like she was next to a blazing furnace. Too drained to do anything, she thought, 'Whatever.'As morning light peeked through the curtains, Madelyn was stirred by a rustling noise. She pulled her blanket tighter around her and drifted back to sleep.After getting dressed, Zach glanced back at the bundled-up Madelyn under the covers and smiled.Forrest's flight from Roshya to Ventropolis touched down at eight o'clock in the morning. An hour later, he was at the hospital's main entrance, buying a bouquet of lilies. Making his way to the
Forrest chuckled, placing apple slices onto a paper plate. "What's so special about him? Isn't he the same as always?" He passed the plate to Sylvia while he nibbled on the leftover apple core."Well, he's still your brother. You should go see him at Southern Haven Villas during the school break," Sylvia suggested."He's staying at the Arnold residence," Forrest explained.Sylvia's face stiffened at that, but she didn't say anything more.A month after Owen's divorce from his first wife, he and Sylvia tied the knot. Sylvia, a girl from a small town, was a leading actress in local plays. At 16, she met Owen, a young man from the bustling city of Ventropolis, who was teaching in her town. Despite their seven-year age difference, they immediately felt a connection. However, two years into their relationship, Owen returned to Ventropolis. Sylvia patiently waited for him for three years. During that time, he visited her and promised to return in three months to marry her. But heartbreak
Forrest asked, "Has he visited you?"Sylvia nodded, smiling gently. "He's been here non-stop. But with his age, I worried about his health, so I sent him home. The doctor will check on me later. If everything's okay, I'll be discharged tonight.""If he ever does you wrong, he's gonna deal with me."She chuckled. "Go get some sleep. I'm gonna take a stroll downstairs. Later, I'll whip up your favorite dish.""Make sure someone goes with you.""I got it."After a long flight back, Forrest was exhausted. He settled onto Sylvia's bed and was out like a light in no time.Walking downstairs with her nurse, a sudden tightness gripped Sylvia's chest, leading to a fierce bout of coughing. She covered her mouth with a pristine white handkerchief, and when she pulled it back, it was stained with blood."Madam... are you..."Sylvia kept her cool, saying, "It's just an old health issue. Don't mention it to my husband or my son; I don't want them stressing out.""Got it, Madam."She threw
After locking her door, Madelyn painted in her room. Her father did not allow painting, so she did it secretly. After about half an hour, she suddenly heard a knock on the door. Madelyn quickly put away her sketchbook and opened the door. When she saw Zach outside, she frowned. "What's up?""Time to eat," Zach said."Got it. I'll change my clothes and come down."As she was about to close the door, Zach stopped it with his foot. Madelyn, surprised and slightly annoyed, saw his foot in the doorway. "What are you doing?""Can't I come in and sit?" he smirked."Are you crazy? It's almost mealtime; what's the point of sitting down?"Madelyn felt a tightness in her chest as she looked into his deep eyes, feeling completely helpless against him. "Fine, whatever."She let go, turned around, and went to her wardrobe, taking out a long cashmere skirt she often wore. The house was heated, and she also wore leggings, so she would not be too cold. She went into the bathroom to change, tying