"I heard from Jane that you haven't been going to the studio?"Madelyn pursed her lips. She felt some come up behind her and wrap their arms around her waist. She pinched Zach's hand to signal him to stop moving."Sorry, Prof. Monet. I've been feeling unwell, so I was at the hospital. I forgot to inform Jane about it.""What are you down with?""Just a mild fever. I'll be discharged tomorrow," she replied."It's been raining a lot recently. Stay warm and take care of your health.""I will, sir."Madelyn waited for Leonardo to hang up before she put her phone away. She wanted to push Zach away, but her struggle was to no avail. In the end, she gave up. "How much longer will you hold me? There are other people in the room.""They won't look," he replied.Madelyn retorted, "You're making me uncomfortable. Let go."Zach scrutinized her face. The swelling had almost gone away. Other than the unknown marks on her face, she had almost recovered.'She's gone through so much and been
Zach picked up the photo that had fallen out of Madelyn's book. He looked at the photo and narrowed his eyes."Why'd you come to the hospital without asking me first?" he asked Cecilia in a cold tone.Zach stood up and looked at her.His presence was intimidating, but Cecilia wasn't scared. She smirked, "Why? Scared I'd hurt her? I'm here for you, not her.""Don't forget what you promised me! I'm going to be your wife. You'd be lost without me," she added."Just stay out of my business," Zach replied."Listen, Zach! If you go to her, I can take away my shares in the company. Don't forget who helped you get where you are," Cecilia shouted as he walked away.But Zach just kept going.Cecilia felt stressed. 'Things are so different now. Jadie's still alive, Madelyn isn't with Zach, and I hate making threats, but I had no choice. Zach was never someone who feared threats. In fact... He'd get rid of those who threatened him,' she thought.She began to doubt if this was the same Zac
Madelyn forcefully wiped away the traces he had left on her. She did not know if he did it on purpose.Before work, she stopped at the restroom and saw a small cut on her lip in the mirror.She touched it lightly and thought, 'Is he a dog?'She had hidden a mark on her neck with makeup before getting to work.The sound of someone flushing echoed in the washroom. The door opened, and Jane emerged from within the stall. She glanced indifferently at Madelyn and walked to the sink next to hers. Then, she washed her hands and walked away without even greeting.Madelyn had always noticed the unexplainable hostility Jane had toward her. While the two of them were from the same studio, they hardly talked. Madelyn only spoke to Jane when she had to.Madelyn quickly freshened up and returned to the studio.She opened the door and saw Clement holding a stack of documents."Madelyn? Aren't you sick and on leave? Why'd you come back so quickly?"Madelyn smiled and said, "Mhm. I was dischar
After finishing the line drawing, Madelyn photographed it and sent it to the client for confirmation. Taking advantage of the break, she massaged her shoulders and went to the water cooler for a drink.She checked her phone. It was almost seven in the evening. She saw many messages from Zach. She wondered how he got her number. She turned her phone off.Soon, the client emailed her back. They liked her drawing. Madelyn was about to color it when someone bumped into her. She looked up. Jane said, "Watch where you're going."Madelyn said, "Sorry."By eight-thirty, the studio was empty except for her. At ten-thirty, she dozed off. Suddenly, she felt someone picking her up. Waking up, she saw Zach. She was startled. "What are you doing? Put me down!""Planning to sleep here if I hadn't shown up?" Zach glanced at her."I'm not done with my work," Madelyn replied."You can finish it tomorrow. Let's head back for the night.""Just let me get my stuff."Zach put her down. Madelyn went
The elevator doors slid open, and Zach stepped out, tugging Madelyn along toward the emergency stairs. The lights in the stairwell blinked as they sensed the two of them. He quickly pushed her against the wall.Panting slightly, he leaned in so close to hers that their noses were almost touching. "How about we do it here?"The dim yellow light accentuated Zach's chisel face. Madelyn's heart raced, filled with anxiety and a touch of fear. His eyes looked softer than usual. She tried to hold back her anger. "Zach, don't do anything stupid. Someone could see us.".Zach lightly touched his lips to hers. "Just one, okay?"Madelyn glanced at the staircase, her chest trembling. "You promised not to force me," she said, her voice shaky and on the verge of tears.Zach leaned over her ear, exhaling warm breath on her neck. A tingling sensation shot through her entire body. He leaned against the wall with his other hand, and a sense of flirtation filled the place immediately.Madelyn though
Madelyn felt her back go numb and could barely hold on. When they reached the 85th floor, the door suddenly opened. "Sir, Miss, you can take the elevator."Madelyn's face turned bright red, not expecting someone to appear. Zach, seeing her flushed face, said with a playful tone, "She prefers it this way."The person who had opened the door was oblivious to the situation beneath Madelyn's dress."So, still resisting?" Zach said, giving her a playful shake.Madelyn yelped in surprise and leaned into him, feeling uneasy. Zach's manhood was bulging, he was at his limits.Suddenly, Madelyn had an idea and decided to change her approach. She leaned fully against his shoulder, a move that seemed to please him. It was uncommon for her to initiate such closeness. She let go with her legs that were tightly wrapped around his waist. What began as an embrace transitioned to him hoisting her over his shoulder."You're smarter now." Zach patted her hip.Seizing her chance, Madelyn quickly got
The night in France looked a lot like Venturia. The city lights shone like diamonds.Zach gazed at the view from the eighty-eighth floor, his eyes all icy. He had a cigarette hanging from his lips, and he had to block the wind with his hand to light it.A puff of smoke drifted away from Zach, and Cecilia Samford moved closer, sounding kinda irritated as she asked, "Zach, I've given in to you twice already. What more do you want? You know you can't be with Madelyn."Cecilia, just like Madelyn, had been reborn. She had thought that by getting involved early, she could get a bigger share of Jardin Corporation after helping Zach start it up, so she could control him. But now, everything seemed to be going all wrong.Cecilia realized that Zach's connection with Madelyn was tangled and tricky. Even though Cecilia and Zach had been tight in a previous life, now she sensed she was just a piece in his quest for power.Zach glanced at Cecilia. He noticed that she bore a strong resemblance t
Zach continued, "Even if we set aside the college fee, for you, it's an astronomical figure. Even if you have a scholarship, just the cost of living would be overwhelming. And if you come to Ventropolis, what about your disabled mother? So, in your past life, a university in Silverbrook was your only option. Am I right?"Cecilia was suddenly taken aback.Zach smirked and went on, "And you coming to Ventropolis implies that your mother passed away in less than three years, and that's when you decided to come to Ventropolis.He continued, "Ventropolis always has an abundance of talent, and your qualifications aren't exceptional there. So, looking at the entire Ventropolis and the way Azure Corporation is growing, Azure does seem like a good choice for you."I guess the reason we had met that time is that you had joined Azure as an employee, am I right?" he addedZach's gaze made Cecilia all jittery because he was spot-on. No matter how hard she tried to act cool, he could see right