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
After her dance class, Madelyn got home at nine o'clock. She was so tired that her legs felt wobbly. As soon as she stepped out of the car, Rosario hurried over."What happened to you?" Rosario's eyes were filled with concern. "Come on, let's get you inside."With Rosario and the driver, Jordan, supporting her, Madelyn eased onto the couch. They placed her backpack beside her."I think you hurt your leg," said Rosario. "Stay put. I've got something that might help."Quickly, Rosario fetched a cream from the medicine cabinet. "Didn’t your instructor notice? Why didn’t you say anything?"She gently examined Madelyn's leg. "Point to where it hurts."Madelyn sighed, feeling a bit relieved now that she was sitting. "It wasn’t the teacher's fault," she admitted. "I pushed myself too hard and took a bad step."Rosario lightly tapped Madelyn's forehead. "Clumsy girl, you've got to watch out for yourself, okay? Promise me."As Madelyn slipped off her socks, Rosario warmed the cream in h
After uttering those words, Madelyn dashed up the stairs in a hurry.However, within just half a minute, a scream erupted from upstairs, "Ah!"Zach glanced upward, instantly surmising that Madelyn had likely taken quite a nasty fall, given the intensity of the scream.Dressed in his black striped pajamas, Zach looked even more intimidating than before. Suddenly, he grabbed Jasmine by the hair. "You're so desperate for male attention, huh? Well, next time, I won't mind bringing a few more men to keep you entertained."Jasmine winced in pain, feeling the tingling sensation in her scalp. Her eyes were clear and alert. "Zach Jardin, are you serious? Let go of me! It hurts!" She gripped Zach's hand, looking at his angry face.Zach whispered n her ear, "Jasmine Manning, if you try anything like that again, I'll let you experience the taste of getting fucked by multiple guys again."Jasmine's eyes widened with fear but then she laughed bitterly. "Fine... But give me one night with you,