When Madelyn approached, Ethan hung up his phone.The weather outside was warm, and many students had already finished their exams and were being picked up by their parents. Madelyn clutched her pencil case against her forehead and quickly opened the front passenger door, hopping into the car.Inside the car, it was pleasantly cool. Ethan handed her a bottle of cold water. "Just finished your exam. How do you feel?"Madelyn took a sip, and the heat that clung to her body quickly faded away. "Not too bad, not as hard as I imagined."Ethan picked her up and drove to the pre-booked photography studio.Madelyn rarely had her picture taken throughout her life, and this was one of the very few times. By the time the session was over, she was exhausted, and her makeup was still on as she cuddled with a pillow in the car, dozing off.As Ethan drove, he noticed her body tilting toward him. He reached out to support her face. When they hit a red light, he pulled over to the side of the roa
At the Young residence, after learning about Ethan's engagement, Frida dialed Evelyn's number with a mixture of frustration and concern. "Evelyn, why didn't you tell me about Ethan's engagement? I'm his mother, don't I have the right to know about something this significant?"Evelyn replied coldly, "This is Ethan's decision, and I have no authority to interfere. He has finally managed to emerge from the shadows, and if you truly care for his well-being as a mother, you should refrain from disturbing him.Evelyn added, "You and our family have no connection anymore. I'm only answering your call out of respect for the fact that you used to be his mother.She continued, "When Ethan was just five or six years old, you tormented him, locked him in the basement, nearly taking his life. Your remorse now is too little, too late. Don't call again in the future, hmph!"The call ended abruptly.Frida slumped on the couch, utterly defeated, covering her face with her hands.Yvonne walked ove
The number of attendees from the Arnold family was not extensive. Ethan's father, Owen, was notably absent, and the reason behind his absence remained a mystery to those outside the Arnold family. However, nobody dared to ask or gossip about the most prominent family in Ventropolis. In high society circles, everyone knew about the dramatic divorce between Frida Young and Owen Arnold.Owen had two brothers and a sister, all of whom were at the event today. They usually managed different parts of the Arnold Corporation and rarely appeared in public. Madelyn didn't often cross paths with them in her daily life.Madelyn greeted each of them one by one and received quite a few gifts. She passed these gifts on to the accompanying servers. The total value of these gifts could easily cover the down payment on a luxury apartment in Ventropolis.Materially, Ethan spared no expense when it came to Madelyn. She even knew the combination to the safe in his room, which contained nothing but gold
"I..." Madelyn hesitated, feeling torn. Anything involving the Young family was a sensitive topic Ethan couldn't handle easily."Madelyn, don't you want my mother and Ethan to make up? Considering our relationship, you should start calling her Mom too. Aren't we all family? So... right now, the only person who can talk to Ethan about this is you. You have to help us. Both my mother and I won't forget your kindness," Yvonne urged.Madelyn stayed quiet for a while before slowly responding, "Yvonne, this isn't as simple as it sounds. I'll talk to Ethan later, but I can't promise he'll agree.""Madelyn Jent! Do you have to be like this? Do you even know how much my mother wishes to fix things with Ethan? Don't you want to help us at all?" Yvonne tried to contain her frustration.Madelyn furrowed her beautiful brows. "Yvonne, you have no idea what happened between them in the past. If she wants to bless us, we'll appreciate her goodwill.""What's going on? Whose phone call is it?" Etha
Evelyn excused herself from the engagement party early and went back to the Arnold residence. George handed her an envelope containing a document, saying, "Someone just said Ethan forgot to give this to you. The contents inside require your personal attention."Evelyn looked puzzled. "Is he learning to keep secrets from me now? You can all leave; I'll take a look at it by myself."After the servants had left, only Marta, who had been with Evelyn for many years, remained by her side.Evelyn sat down on the couch and opened the document. She took out a medical checkup report with Madelyn's name on it. When she reached the last section, her eyes widened, and her breath quickened. "This..." Even the hand holding the report trembled."What's wrong, Mrs. Arnold Sr.?" Marta noticed that something was seriously amiss with Evelyn, possibly a sign of a heart attack. She quickly retrieved a bottle of pills and gave one to Evelyn.Evelyn's breathing gradually steadied. Marta picked up the sca
Frida produced the gift box in her hands and said, "Ethan, I apologize for my tardiness. I've prepared an engagement present for you, something I've carefully chosen. I hope both you and Madelyn will like it.""Ethan, Madelyn... Mom put a lot of thought into this gift," Yvonne added.Frida opened the box, revealing a four-piece dinnerware set inside. Many in the room recognized it as the work of the renowned artist Adam Burch from Venturia. His porcelain pieces were truly priceless.A murmur of appreciation swept through the crowd.However, in the next instant, a loud crash echoed through the room.Ethan raised his hand and forcefully knocked the gift to the ground. His face turned dark and icy. "Who invited you? Get out!"He showed no mercy.Zach remained seated, calmly taking a sip of his drink. A faint smirk played on his lips.The joyful atmosphere that had prevailed just moments ago was now shrouded in darkness. Most people watched in silence, not daring to make a sound.
Ethan used the excuse of needing to sober up and took Madelyn to the rest area.As soon as they entered, Madelyn felt guilty, "I'm sorry. The phone call earlier was indeed from Yvonne. I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. I didn't think they'd come."Ethan looked a little intoxicated. His eyes were filled with tiredness. He had been busy all day, starting from four in the morning. Moreover, he did not rest properly last night.Madelyn poured a glass of warm water and sat beside him. Ethan looked like he did not blame her. He stretched his hand to stroke her hair, "I know... Don't take their words to heart. If they ever approach you again and you can't handle it, just tell me, okay?"Madelyn responded, "Okay. I won't keep it from you again. I know you don't like people talking about that in front of you; that was why I didn't tell you."Ethan asked, "Can I hug you?"Madelyn leaned forward to let him hug her for a while.She was leaving for Paris tomorrow. So, aft
Just then, Leyton suddenly pushed the door open and walked in, "It's bad, Mr. Arnold. Mrs. Arnold. Sr. is sick."Ethan instantly opened his eyes and sat up. A hint of light flashed past his eyes as he asked, "What happened?"Leyton responded, "It's said that you need to return home right now, and Ms. Jent doesn't need to follow you."Madelyn was confused as she asked, "Why?"Ethan looked at her.Leyton explained, "I'm not sure. But it's Mrs. Arnold Sr.'s wish. However, the servant's tone didn't seem unusual. Maybe she knows that that you have to leave the country and doesn't want you to worry."Madelyn thought, 'This guess seems to align with how she does things.'Ethan frowned. He felt that things were not so simple. He asked, "How's her current condition?"Leyton responded, "The family doctor has already rushed over."Ethan stood up. He grabbed his blazer and said to Madelyn, "Rest at the hotel. I'll go back now."Madelyn said, "I'll go with you."Ethan replied, "Listen to