Ten seconds later, Madelyn blinked her eyes open. The bright lights flooded her vision, instantly rousing her from her drowsiness. "Zach Jar... uh, Brother? Why are you in my room?" She pulled herself upright, her heart racing. 'Why did I just blurt out his full name?' She gripped the blanket, her eyes widening in alarm.Zach watched as Madelyn hastily wrapped herself up."How long have you been here?" Madelyn's voice quivered.Wiping off remnants of the muscle rub from his hand, Zach said, "Bring your foot over here. Let me check that ankle of yours."His intense gaze locked onto Madelyn, making her feel uneasy all over. She shook her head and replied, "You don't have to do that. Rosario already massaged it earlier. It should be better by morning."Zach's brow creased, his voice firm. "Madelyn, just do as I say. I don't want to repeat myself."Madelyn's mind raced, processing Zach's words. What if she said no again? She knew he might take an unpredictable.It had always been th
When Madelyn slipped her feet into her slippers and hopped out of bed, she discovered her ankle had fully healed. She realized she'd missed Zach's departure the previous night, having slept deeply. Morning had already dawned by the time she rose.She couldn't shake the image of Jasmine, disheveled and seemingly intoxicated, emerging from Zach's room. Grabbing her backpack, she deliberately took her time descending the stairs.The living room was empty, eerily silent for the time of day. She grabbed a few slices of toast from the table, planning a quick exit. As she did, Rosario came out of the kitchen, chiding, "You act as if you're sneaking in someone else's home. Sit. Eat. I’ll get Mr. Jardin."Without hesitation, Madelyn replied, "I'll just grab something quick. I left a practice test unfinished at school and need to finish it. I'll eat this and be off, Rosario.""That's hardly a meal," Rosario admonished.Madelyn didn't reply.Knowing Madelyn's stubbornness, Rosario added, "A
"Madelyn," a tall girl with a pretty face said, stepping closer, "wasn't there a dead mouse in this bag before? How can you still use it? Aren't you worried about getting sick?" She looked at Madelyn's lunchbox with a look of distaste.Another girl added, "You're the only one at Ventrocloud High who packs lunch. Are you short on money? If you need help, just say so! We can lend you some."A third girl smirked, trying to provoke. "Serena, Madelyn doesn't care about you. Don't hang out with her, or you'll get dirty too."Madelyn quickly zipped her backpack and stood up, slamming her hand on the table. "Who did you just call dirty? Say that again. I dare you." While she rarely showed her anger, that didn't mean she couldn't stand up for herself.She looked straight at the three girls. "Why so quiet now? What do you mean by 'dirty'? Michelle, isn't your family in construction? Lorrie, Jenny... your families work with them, right? Two years ago, didn't your companies build Blossom Haven
Ethan was determined to meet Madelyn at school. Surgery or no surgery, he found his strength from her presence.Watching her from a distance, he was mesmerized by the wind playing with her long hair. She looked serene by the lake, an image that he would always remember."Stay here," Ethan told George, not taking his eyes off Madelyn."Understood, sir," George responded.Madelyn sat comfortably on a bench, her eyes pulled to the beautiful lake view. She happily munched on the snacks from her lunchbox, always loving the delicious foods Rosario made for her.Suddenly, a figure caught Madelyn's eye.She looked over and spotted the good-looking teen she had seen at the hospital recently. 'But... his legs...' She noticed a glimpse of a blue tattoo on his arm, just under his sleeve, and another one peeking from his collar.As the wind ruffled his hair, the teenager in the wheelchair stopped next to her. He looked at her and smiled warmly. "Funny seeing you here again," he said.Madelyn
Across the lake, a small group of people approached, and Timothy was among them. Even from afar, he could see Madelyn, deep in conversation with a guy in a wheelchair. He noticed her occasional bright smiles, showing she was genuinely enjoying their talk.Jadie and her roommate, Claire Yelton, were also part of the group. The two girls chatted, with Claire taking in the beauty of Ventrocloud High's environment. "This place is stunning! That swan lake might be bigger than our entire football field, right Jadie?"Jadie chuckled, "It's huge, alright. I'd probably get lost without a guide."Timothy subtly nudged Adrian and tilted his head toward Madelyn. Adrian looked over and took in the scene. 'Who's that with Madelyn?' he thought. 'I've never seen him before. Could it be that after realizing Forrest isn't into her, she's moved on? But why would she choose someone in a wheelchair? That's... unexpected.'..."It was really nice chatting with you," Madelyn said with a sincere smile.
Madelyn continued, "You're aware of the situation I'm dealing with at school. I don't want to burden you with my problems."Serena responded, slightly puzzled, "Why Lorville, of all places? It's just a little town on the outskirts. But that aside, even if we aren't close, I hope you won't push me away when I try to talk to you."Madelyn nodded, her expression softening, "If you can respect my boundaries and studies, I won't shut you out."Overjoyed, Serena exclaimed, "Madelyn, you're the best!" and hugged her tightly.Madelyn had her reservations about Serena's sudden wish for friendship. Throughout their school years in Madelyn's past life, they'd had only minimal contact—just the usual pleasantries and the occasional nod. It was like they existed in parallel lines, and there was a real possibility they could someday pass by each other without acknowledgment.As she walked, Forrest appeared ahead. His black denim jacket contrasted against the stark white of the cast encasing his
Forrest roughly nudged the chunky guy snoozing beside Madelyn. Startled awake, he blinked in confusion."Get lost!" Forrest yelled.The guy was born into sudden wealth thanks to his family's booming livestock business, wasn't known for much other than his frequent naps. His schoolwork often had evidence of his drool. Seeing Forrest, he quickly understood and got up, freeing the spot.Forrest deftly moved the chair and settled beside Madelyn, his hand casually resting on the chair's back. His other hand, encased in a striking cast, stood out noticeably. His stylish sneakers, likely from some high-end brand, tapped lightly on the floor, giving him a somewhat roguish look."You know Jadie White, right?" he asked.Madelyn put her pen down. "Yeah, I know her. She's my father's adopted daughter. And the guy she calls her brother? He's the person my dad took in. But neither of them is actually related to me by blood."Timothy tilted his head with a mischievous glint. "They're all adopte
After finishing her last set of chemistry practice papers, Madelyn couldn't shake off her restlessness. She frowned, trying to make sense of Forrest's strange behavior. 'What's up with Forrest? Is he acting crazy, or did I accidentally do something to make him think I like him? Maybe it's because I helped him pick up his stuff the other day, and someone took a picture, and now he thinks I'm chasing him?'Feeling an urgent need to know more, Madelyn grabbed her phone and quickly opened the school's online forum where the photo had been shared without her knowledge. She hadn't fully read the comments on that post, but she was curious to find out what people were saying. As she navigated to the forum and found the thread, her heart sank when she realized it had been hacked. Clicking on the link only brought up a frustrating 404 error, and she couldn't access the content at all.Right at that moment, a text message popped up, and it was from Serena.Serena: [Madelyn, you were so brave.