Madelyn packed her things and left through the staff exit, oblivious to nearby dangers. As she stepped out from a corner, a Maybach was pulling away from the art exhibition hall in the opposite direction. They crossed paths without noticing one another.After he landed, Zach grabbed a quick bite and headed to the gallery. Despite his efforts, he arrived a bit late. Leaning back in the car seat, he shut his eyes. "Any idea where she is?"Kevin paused before answering, "Our guy's outside her apartment. He'll update us when Ms. Jent gets back."Zach just nodded, taking a deep breath.He had waited four years, but these last minutes felt endless. He needed to see her now. Breaking the silence, Zach said, "Let's go to the apartment.""But we have another appointment.""Forget it.""Alright," Kevin replied.Thirty minutes later, Zach pulled up to Madelyn's apartment complex. The building looked run-down. Judging by its condition, it was likely forty or fifty years old. It didn't seem
As dusk settled, outside was pitch-black. Kevin took three calls during his absence. When he returned, he hesitated before saying, "Mr. Jardin, the banquet started half an hour ago. We should head over."Flipping to the last page of Madelyn's journal, Zach realized the time when he looked up and thought, 'Four years' worth in this notebook.' Standing up, he tore out a page, then held it by the tip. "Mail this to the Arnold family in Ventropolis."Kevin nodded, "Understood."On the cruise ship, a grand banquet was underway. The dance floor shimmered with people in glamorous dresses. Among the guests were famous celebrities and top models. Everyone mingled, their laughter mixing with the clink of glasses and the distant sound of ocean waves.In the kitchen, Madelyn demonstrated her exceptional skills, particularly with desserts. At the beginning of her job, she could not speak any French. But her culinary talent earned her the position. It was a lifeline; she could have been left str
Madelyn rinsed and shook her hands, "I might need to rest; I'm feeling seasick.""Okay." Hugue noticed Madelyn hesitating, so he decided to leave with the waiter.With her chin in one hand, Alice waved a fork toward Zach, "Try this. It's Venturian food. You've had it before, right?"Zach gave no reaction but turned his attention to a tall, burly man in a white chef's uniform.The waiter announced, "The chef is here, Miss Girard."Alice raised her eyebrows, "I was expecting someone from Venturia."Hugue said, "A lady from Venturia taught me the walnut cake. She's sick and says she's sorry she couldn't come."Spotting Zach starting to move away, Alice asked, "Where are you headed, Zach?"At the beginning of the cruise, Madelyn felt perfectly fine. But as the ship started to rock more heavily, she became sick and rushed to the restroom. When she emerged, looking drained, she walked down a dimly lit hallway. There, she noticed a woman in a fancy dress and a fallen hat nearby. As Ma
"I need to head back."As Lila grabbed her arm, she said, "Hugue got a tip from a guest. This part's for you."Madelyn was not listening to anything else being said; her only thought was 'escape.' She nodded, "Thanks. And please let him know I'm grateful."Lila frowned, "We've got a problem. A heavy storm hit, causing the ship to lose control. It won't be repaired until tomorrow, so everyone's staying on board tonight."Madelyn's eyes widened, "Seriously?"Lila nodded seriously, "That's why the banquet ended early. Everyone, guests and crew alike, have to bunk here."Madelyn struggled to grasp her emotions, baffled as to why Zach would be on this ship. Together with Lila, she made her way to the crew area. The two were assigned a small, tight crew cabin. Looking out, she saw waves crashing against the ship, punctuated by deafening thunder and bright lightning flashes. Their beds? Nothing more than hard wooden planks in a room that felt damp. While the day's exhaustion took its to
The atmosphere in the room grew sensual and even the sea breeze that blew in added to the passionate scene.Madelyn lost track of time before it finally ended. Her senses were numb as she drifted in and out of consciousness.Everything only ended after the sunlight appeared outside the window. Madelyn was so drained that she did not even have the energy to move a finger. She fell into a deep and heavy sleep.Zach came out of the bathroom with Madelyn, who he had just showered with, in his arms. His body exuded a misty warmth, and his snow-white skin seemed to have bruises everywhere.Zach gently laid her on the bed, opened the bedside drawer, and took out a bottle of ointment. He squeezed some out and applied it evenly between Madelyn's legs, where there was some redness and even slight bleeding... However, the tearing was not too bad. Madelyn, whose eyes were still closed, hummed softly and frowned as if she was in pain, so Zach became even more gentle with his movement.After an
"I'll take you there in half an hour.""I don't need you to."Zach let her go, leaving Madelyn somewhat surprised. 'Why'd he let me go so easily? Is he actually being reasonable for once?'Madelyn immediately lifted the sheets and got out of bed. She looked at her legs and found out that her smooth and fair legs were now covered in marks left by the man. She could not help but grit her teeth and curse inwardly. 'What an animal!'As soon as her feet touched the ground, Madelyn felt weak and collapsed onto the floor. Then, she heard the man on the bed letting out a satisfied and light laugh.The room's lights were turned on. Zach was wearing a robe that was hung loosely open. revealing his well-toned and tanned chest. He sat leisurely on the bed and lit up a cigarette before taking a drag and exhaling a puff of smoke as he looked at her lazily. "Do you need any help, my darling?"Madelyn ignored him. She placed her hand on the bed and stood up from the ground while enduring the pai
The waiter served the final dish."Nothing here that suits your taste?" Zach took a sip of water and looked at her.Madelyn's bag was placed on the chair right beside her. She had the strong urge to just grab her bag and leave. However, she could never do that with the bodyguard around her. Even if she did manage to escape, she would have no idea where to go."I don't want to stay here. I have my own things to do.""What things? Tell me about them," Zach asked.Madelyn tightened her grip on her fork and knife. "I'm going to Dreamy Bay in North Sands next week. I have a lot of preparations to make. If you keep me here, I won't be able to get anything done."Zach listened to her quietly before muttering one word, "No."Madelyn could not figure out what right he had to interfere with her decision every time she wanted to do something. After all, she was not a student anymore."This is my business, and you don't have the right to stop me from doing anything, even with the relations
Then, Madelyn went to a shopping mall on the iconic street of Boulevard Haussmann of France. She had previously worked there as a saleswoman, although only for a few days.The hotel got them a car, and a driver took Madelyn and the bodyguards there.Inside the mall, Madelyn pretended to take a few pieces of clothes. The bodyguards took photos of her, and she figured that they were probably reporting her whereabouts to Zach.After that, Madelyn went into a lingerie store and made several purchases.While sitting in the car, Zach felt his phone vibrating. He took it out and saw a notification of a deduction from his account balance. Then, he casually turned off the screen and put it back into his pocket. Madelyn had just spent several hundred thousand dollars in one go with his card, yet he did not seem to care at all.Kevin reported to him, "Ms. Samford will arrive at the airport around nine-thirty at night.""Hm," Zach responded nonchalantly."Are we still going to bring Ms. Sam