There had to be a decision made. If Ethan chose Madelyn, it would mean losing both Donna and their child.If he truly wished to keep his child, then it would depend on whether Madelyn could accept the child's existence.Of course, Donna hoped that Madelyn would gracefully step back. Even if their bond was deep, she believed it couldn't surpass the fact she had borne Ethan's child.Ethan made a call, and it was quickly answered.He remained silent.Madelyn inquired, "Ethan? You called me just now. Did you have something to tell me?"Hearing her voice, which seemed to betray no unusual emotion, Ethan hesitantly said, "I must have dialed accidentally..."Madelyn responded, "I noticed there was no sound on the other end, so I hung up. I was actually going to call you back to let you know that I've returned to Venturia. My father fell ill, and I need to take care of him for a few days. I'm sorry for not informing you sooner."Somehow, Ethan felt relieved. "Okay. I'll come over now.
"Jadie, please leave." Madelyn spoke coldly, "Everyone, leave. My father needs rest, and you are disturbing him." She turned away, no longer paying them any attention, and uninterested in watching them keeping up their act."Madelyn..." Rosario began, her eyes filled with sorrow, somehow turning Madelyn into the villain, as if she had done something unforgivable."Out!" Madelyn no longer wanted to see them.Jadie pressed her lips together, "Rosario, we should leave."After Rosario was helped out of the room by Jadie, Zach closed the door. Jadie didn't know what had transpired between Rosario and Madelyn. The old Madelyn had regarded Rosario as family, while now, she treated Rosario like an enemy."Zach, what happened between Rosario and Madelyn?" Jadie asked, puzzled.Zach's gaze was icy as it landed on Rosario, "In the future, don't seek her out without my permission. If you wish to stay at the Jent residence, do what you're supposed to do."Rosario, tears streaming down her fa
Madelyn attempted to pull her hand from Zach's grip, but he held firm. Turning to him, her eyes displayed a hint of emotion. Her brows knitted slightly, her voice barely more than a whisper, "What do you want?""We have servants here. You don't need to take care of things.""Servants who are loyal to you. You probably have a better idea than I do about what happened to my father. After all that's happened, do you genuinely believe I'd trust you?" Her eyes held a challenge, but then she looked away, "No matter what happens with my father, I'll do what's expected of me. In the end, you'll have control of our family's wealth, and no one will stand in your way."Madelyn tried to pull away, but just as she stepped into Hayson's room, Zach swiftly drew her back to him.All the things Madelyn held dropped to the floor. He carried her up the stairs. His movements were decisive, almost predatory."You seem to know so much, so why fight it?" he taunted.When he set her down, she was back
'He's always around so many women, who knows how many he's been fooling around before me.' She thought Zach was disgusting, yet she couldn't help feeling the same about herself. How she wished their paths had never crossed.From downstairs, Jasmine's voice drifted up as she ascended the stairs. "Zach, did you make Madelyn upset again?" When she reached the door, she didn’t seem shocked when she saw what was happening in the room. Instead, she just smiled at Zach, "Why do you always get her worked up? Talk to me instead."It was clear from how Jasmine looked at Zach that they had something special."Leave! This is MY room. Talk somewhere else," Madelyn said, putting down the craft knife in her hand. There was a small cut on her neck that was bleeding a little.Madelyn didn't conceal the contempt in her eyes for them. To her, the relationships in this house were all tangled up and messed up. It felt as if the house were a decaying swamp, and everyone was trapped, unable to break free
Madelyn got up at eight-thirty in the morning. She walked into the living room, and her bodyguards looked at each other. Breakfast was already on the table. But then, she heard a loud noise from upstairs, like something had broken.Zach was still sitting on the couch, reading the news. He didn't look up but said, "Hold on, eat first before heading upstairs."Rosario was busy in the kitchen and smiled when she saw Madelyn. There were so many yummy foods on the table, and a lot of them were things Madelyn liked.Madelyn replied, "I'm good, I had some pasta already."With a 'snap,' Zach closed the newspaper. He stood and walked over, saying loudly, "You can't go out at night anymore."Madelyn ignored him and started walking up the stairs.She stopped halfway and turned to say, "I'll make my own food from now on. I don't want anyone putting weird stuff in it."Clang!Rosario, who was preparing a meal in the kitchen, accidentally dropped something, and it broke into many pieces.Ha
Following the doctor's instructions, Madelyn brewed herbal tonic in the backyard, keeping busy for over an hour.A servant came up to her, "Miss Jent, let us do that for you. It's our job, and you shouldn't have to do it.""I'm okay," Madelyn said, "you can do other stuff."Right then, another servant told her, "Miss Jent, Mr. Arnold is here, and Mr. Jardin is talking to him.""Got it, I'll be there in a moment."After preparing the tonic, Madelyn took it to her room upstairs. Instead of going downstairs, she asked a servant to get Ethan for her.In her room, there were photos from their engagement party on the table. There was also a covered painting in one corner. She had wanted to give it to Ethan during their party, but he wasn't there, so she kept it.When Ethan came into the room, he quickly hugged her from behind, burying his face in her neck, smelling her hair."I've been so busy with work and couldn't come to see you. When are you leaving? I want to spend time with you
The waiter replied, "She just left. If you're fast, you might find her.""Thanks," Ethan replied, grabbing his jacket and running out.Outside, he looked around. There were cars, but no sign of Madelyn.He called her number on his phone."Sorry, the phone you're calling is off..."Ethan tried calling again, but no luck.Actually, if Ethan had just looked behind him, he would've seen Madelyn standing there.Ethan texted her: [Call me when you're home. I'll arrange your flight back to Paris. In a few days, someone will come to get you.]Without looking back, Ethan jumped into his car and sped off.Madelyn held her phone tight. Her fingers were pale, and she felt hurt inside.Actually, Madelyn had sneaked behind Ethan earlier and heard everything he said on the phone. Although she and Ethan were already engaged, she felt more like a homewrecker now. If it was only about Donna, Madelyn wouldn't have minded. 'But they have a kid?' thought Madelyn. 'Zach got rid of my engagement
The wind blew, and Zach caught a mix of Madelyn's natural scent and the sharp smell of alcohol.With strong force, he pulled her up from the ground. As she stumbled, he quickly held onto her waist, feeling her warmth through her light dress.Zach took the beer can from her hand and looked at it. He said in a deep, emotionless voice, "Just one can and you're this tipsy? You're still the same, making silly decisions.""Why do you care? If you want beer, just ask. Why are you being so rude?" Madelyn's words were jumbled and her voice soft. She walked to a nearby set of steps and sat on a wooden chair at the top. She tucked her legs under her and rested her head on her knees. She didn't say anything else.Under the streetlight, Zach stood close by, wearing dark everyday clothes. He looked tall next to her. "How long will you stay here? Don't you want to go home?"Madelyn mumbled, "I don't have a home anymore. I wish my mom was still alive... She'd look after me."Zach sat with her fo