As Zach walked away, Madelyn remained rooted in place before the bus stop sign. She was clad in her Ventrocloud High School uniform, with the emblem of a knight on a horse shooting an arrow on her chest.On the busy street, anyone looking could tell she was from Ventrocloud High School. And with her good looks, she caught the eye of some not-so-nice folks.At that moment, three thugs approached. Surveillance cameras weren't yet widespread in Venturia's streets. Things were way less high-tech than now. So, if something happened, it'd be hard to find proof. Even if the bad guys got away, catching them would be tough.Seeing the three thugs getting closer, Madelyn lowered her head, hoping they wouldn't come any closer. But bad luck didn't care what day it was."Hey there, pretty, where you off to? Need a lift?" one of the guys laughed."I never thought Ventrocloud kids would look like you. Aren't they supposed to be rich? Got some money for me, sweetheart?" another one sneered.Stu
Madelyn thought to herself, 'He's not so scary. He looks really cute when he smiles.'Ethan reassured her, "You don't need to be afraid anymore. Where are you headed? I can give you a ride."Madelyn wiped away the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. "No, thank you. My driver will be here soon."A faint smile graced his lips. "No trouble at all. I'll wait with you. Are you a student at Ventrocloud High School?"Madelyn nodded. "Yes.""Ms. Je— I mean Miss, here's your purse." His butler took the purse from the thug's pocket and handed it over to Madelyn with both hands.Just moments ago, fear had gripped Madelyn so intensely that she had lost track of where the bodyguards had taken those three thugs.Ethan spoke, his voice filled with concern, "Please check your purse to ensure nothing is missing."Madelyn opened her purse and quickly glanced inside. Her ID card and student card remained safely in place. "Everything is here, nothing is missing." She then inquired, "Whe
Ethan's car happened to be heading in the opposite direction when he saw the traffic light ahead turn red. Just then, he received a message from Madelyn: [Ethan, where are you?]Ethan always kept his phone close to him. Whenever he saw her message, he would respond promptly. However, this time he made a deliberate decision to turn off his phone.George glanced at the rearview mirror. "Is that a message from Ms. Jent? Has she discovered something?""Probably... but I don't want to deceive her," Ethan neither confirmed nor denied. He wished to wait a little longer, until he could stand on his own two feet once again. Then, she would see him in his entirety, rather than as a broken and disabled man.George added, "Maybe she wouldn't mind, though?""It's not about whether she minds or not. I mind. Let's head back home!" Ethan wearily closed his eyes. The recent incident had been a close call. Fortunately, he had purposely lingered near the hospital entrance. If he had left at that mom
"Of course not. How could I ever find you annoying when you care about me?" Madelyn tried to reassure Zach.Zach looked at Madelyn's loose clothes. They didn't seem to fit right and were kind of baggy. He hadn't seen her wearing those before, and they even looked like clothes guys would wear. So he asked, "You not wearing your school uniform today?"Madelyn glanced down at her attire, realizing her oversight. "I-I did wear it... But the buttons were broken. I borrowed this outfit from someone else, and I have to return it later.""So, it's a men's outfit?"Madelyn nodded, choosing not to hide the truth. "Yes."Zach chuckled lightly, but there was no trace of emotion in his eyes, even a hint of coldness. "Looks like Madelyn is in love."Madelyn protested, "No... He's just a friend of my classmate."Zach continued, "It's not a problem if you're in a relationship now. It's normal for young people to develop feelings for others during their youth... If you ever encounter any problem
When Zach leaned in for a kiss, Madelyn snapped back to reality and quickly pushed him away. "No!" Her heart raced.Zach sat back. Madelyn couldn't figure out what he was thinking. "So now you're saying no to me," he said casually.Madelyn grabbed her black pleated skirt tightly. "I've told you, you're like a brother to me. Please, don't do these weird things anymore. If Jadie finds out, she'll be mad." In her head, she thought, 'You cheater! Were you fooling around with other girls in your car like this while I was waiting for you to come home?'Madelyn no longer loved him. She knew he only had eyes for Jadie, and no one else. Even though Cecilia bore a resemblance to Jadie, Zach only saw Cecilia as someone who could bear his child. In Madelyn's past life, her heart belonged entirely to him, but in the end, she suffered a devastating defeat. Now, she felt genuine fear.Zach's eyes turned cold. "You're more mature now! I apologize for acting impulsively and for what happened la
Jasmine continued, "Don't you suspect that Madelyn has known all along? Zach, you're always cautious. You don't want Madelyn to find out about us. Or is it that you can't bring yourself to confront her? Do you want me to help you?"She propped her chin, offering a seductive gaze and a smile. "Darling, you know I never go easy on my rivals. If she ties knot with Ethan Arnold... Dealing with the Jent family alone is already challenging for you. With the addition of the Arnold family, do you think you can handle it?"Zach put down his silverware, grabbed a piece of tissue, and wiped his mouth. "My affairs don't require your meddling... Put on your shoes."Jasmine laughed as she moved her foot away from his calf.Zach stood up, turned around, and left. Soon, his Audi drove out of the garage at the Jent residence.That night, Madelyn retired to bed before ten o'clock.Ethan had not responded to her text, but she didn't dwell on it. She interpreted it as an indication that the teenager
Madelyn couldn't help but notice that Jadie had a group of guys by her side—Adrian, Timothy, and Forrest. She stood next to her family car, watching them approach from across the street. It caught her off guard, and she thought to herself, 'When did Jadie start hanging out with Forrest? They seem really close.''Hmm... Jadie and Forrest?' Madelyn couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of relationship they had. 'Wasn't Jadie interested in Zach? Does Zach know about Jadie and Forrest being together?' But then she realized that Jadie's love life was none of her business. She wanted no part in anything involving Jadie or Zach.As Madelyn shifted her gaze away, she noticed a blue tattoo on Forrest's arm. It felt strangely familiar. She had a fleeting sense of having seen it on someone in a past life. 'It looks familiar,' she thought, but the memory slipped away for a moment. She couldn't recall when or where she had seen it before.Meanwhile, Timothy glanced at the black sedan across t
Madelyn finally recognized the tattoo on Forrest's hand. 'That's the tattoo from the man who jumped because of Zach! That man was Forrest!'Before, people said Forrest drove off a cliff in his car when he was in charge of Arnold Corporation. They never found him, so everyone thought he was gone. Then, a lady took his place in the company. But soon after, the Arnold family's house blew up and all of them died. Someone else then took over the company, but no one knew who it was.Madelyn tried to think harder. There was a man with face burns that Zach talked about. This man always wore a mask. But what she remembered the most was the same blue tattoo on his hand. It looked just like Forrest's. This man would get really mad, especially at ladies, and it was scary.'If Forrest didn't die from the car crash, how did he get so much money to take over the company?' she wondered.As she delved deeper into her memories, another doubt emerged. 'The Arnolds were super rich in Ventropolis. How