Zach's focus was not on Encounter Gaming. Still, everyone was extremely nervous when he suddenly arrived at the company because of Madelyn.Zach personally investigating this matter implied that this issue had become more serious.After Kevin talked to Calvin Helberg, the current head of Encounter Gaming, he immediately went to find the employee from the design department who communicated with Madelyn.Kevin said, "The public relations department had already retracted the notice on Ms. Jent's plagiarism matter."Mr. Jardin?" Kevin looked at the person who had already left his seat with his phone. He wondered what happened again.Kevin thought, 'Ever since we came back from France, we wasted most of our time on Madelyn. Now, we even have to get involved in such a trivial matter. Our original plans have been completely disrupted because of her.'Zach answered the phone call from the hotel while standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, "What's the matter? Tell me!"The hot
The doctor had said, "We found a tumor in your head, which is benign for now. We recommend taking medication to see if it gets smaller. Please return in three months for a check-up. If it grows, surgery might be the next step. Just know that getting treated early often means better results."Today marked the three months since the doctor's warning, and Madelyn was due for her check-up. Yet, shortly before Zach found her, she had gotten the tough news: her brain tumor was getting worse than initially believed.'I thought I had a new beginning. But with Zach always looming, it feels like I'm stuck in the past. What's the point if things are like this?'Feeling the start of a nosebleed, Madelyn quickly took a few pills. She leaned on the wall for balance and went to the bathroom. When Zach showed up, she was already wiping away the blood."Madelyn, open the door! I'll only count to three!"It was unusual for Zach to get this mad. Given who he is, shouting at her was just not his styl
"What happened?" Zach asked, his eyes softening as he looked intently at her."It's nothing. You're overthinking," Madelyn replied, her voice flat.Zach, sensing she was hiding something, moved closer. He gently wrapped an arm around her waist and lifted her onto a table. Reminders of their previous night together were still evident on her skin."Don't challenge me like this; I don't appreciate it. Got it?" His voice may have been soft, but the cold warning in his eyes was clear. Nevertheless, he seemed gentler now than before. Taking a moment to touch her hair, he gently lifted her chin, ensuring their eyes met, "Hungry? Tell me what you'd like, and I'll order from the restaurant."Feeling a bit drained, Madelyn replied, "Anything's fine." Her attention wandered to the white bedsheet."That's more like it," Zach murmured, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead. He then made a call to the hotel's restaurant.It was not long before a waiter arrived with a cart filled with snacks a
"Ethan, no... Don't go, please." Tears streamed down Madelyn's face as she murmured, clutching the hand she feared she would lose. Engulfed in a nightmare, she saw a frail Ethan lying alone in a hospital bed. She dashed into the room, searching for a doctor, but everything was eerily quiet. Ethan's voice echoed, revealing he was on the brink of death and saying his final goodbye. The pain she felt was piercing. Despite her frantic efforts, she could not get to him. As he faded away and the surroundings dimmed, total darkness overcame her.Zach's cold and intense gaze never left her, his face as tense as a storm building on the horizon.A sharp pang in her chest woke Madelyn. As she sat up quickly, she accidentally tore a page from the book she had been holding. She noticed Zach beside her, his gaze dark and intense. The intensity in his eyes unsettled her, but it faded almost as quickly as she noticed it, leaving her questioning what she saw. Zach reached out, gently tucking stray st
Madelyn seemed distant all day. But for Zach, having her nearby was all that mattered. Unaware of Zach's approach, he suddenly lifted her and seated her on his lap. She did not resist and appeared calm."I just want to be alone right now," she said softly.Zach took off his suit jacket, leaving him in a rolled-up black shirt that showed off his toned arms. They starkly contrasted with Madelyn's delicate hands, which looked so fragile as if they could easily break. He tenderly stroked her hand, leaning down to gently kiss its back. He could tell she was not feeling her best today. Despite the strong feelings stirring within him, he held back, respecting her mood."I got Kevin to pick up all the jewelry from tonight's auction. They'll be sent to you soon," Zach said.Madelyn's voice wavered, "I can't accept them. It'd look like... like you're supporting me. I won't be with you again in that way, not after everything." She paused, searching for the right words. Sensing her uncertainty
'My father chose Zach as his successor since I wasn't born a boy. Now that Zach's here, I'm just like an afterthought. Thanks to Cecilia, Zach's back in charge of Jardin Corporation. It seems like everyone's path is changing except mine. Going home would mean facing loneliness; I have no family waiting for me there.' Madelyn was swamped with feelings of heartbreak, suffocation, and loss. 'I wish things were easier. No matter how long they're away, most people always have a family to return to.'Zach tried to figure out what she was thinking about so intently. He had always been patient with the Jent family. He could have taken action against Hayson years ago if he had wanted to. But after waiting so long, what was one more day? Distractedly, he played with her hair."You don't need to hurry and grow up. Just rely on me," he said.Madelyn's eyelashes fluttered, but she did not speak. A sharp feeling of pain gripped her heart. Zach had effortlessly defined her destiny, making her feel
"What did she tell you?"Madelyn tried to read Zach's expression in the mirror, looking for signs of guilt. But Zach appeared calm as if he already knew.When Cecilia approached Madelyn, she shared that she had memories of her past life, just like her. Knowing Cecilia's honesty, she likely told Zach everything—about their past relationship, their secret meetings, and even their child. With this knowledge, Zach could be thinking about rekindling their old relationship."It doesn't matter what I know," Madelyn turned to face him, "Jadie or Cecilia, they're the ones important to you. You're wasting your time on me.""I've booked a flight in three days.""I'm done running," Madelyn said firmly. "You keeping an eye on me won't change a thing. I don't need a home or family to stand on my own. Since you've pulled away from the Jent family, I have no reason to show respect like I used to. Our past should stay in the past."Zach replied sternly, "Ending this isn't your call. Accept it for
Their relationship wasn't clear, but it seemed destiny always intended for Madelyn to be by his side. For the next few weeks, Madelyn did not see Cecilia. It seemed she had left France.Madelyn missed the anniversary of her mother's passing. She had been hiding her illness the entire time she was with Zach. After spending an evening with him, she woke up to find that dusk had set in.Marie Durand, hired by Zach to look after Madelyn, truly cared for her. She could tell that even though Madelyn was beautiful, she was unhappy. Handing Madelyn a shawl, Marie said, "There's a fountain show at the hotel today. It'd be good for you to see. You shouldn't stay in your room forever."Madelyn replied, staring into the darkness, "I've been sick for a while now, Marie. You can go. You don't have to stay here with me.""But Mr. Jardin asked me to be with you.""He'll understand. I just need to be alone for a bit.""Alright. Call me if you need anything. I won't be far."After Marie left, Mad
Liam was standing in the rain, and though it hadn't been long, he was thoroughly drenched.Blake quickly pulled him close, her voice laced with concern. "Are you crazy? It's pouring rain! What if you catch a cold?"Liam's look was subdued, his face showing signs of fatigue. "I'm okay. This is for you; I didn't want you to have to come out in this weather."As Blake took in his forlorn appearance, her heart softened suddenly. 'Am I losing my mind?' she thought."Now you'll have to pay more attention to me, Blake... I was just so scared of losing you. I've put everything I have into getting you to agree to marry me; the idea of you walking away is unbearable."Overwhelmed with emotion, Blake locked eyes with him. "Did she teach you to say that too?" she asked, her hand moving on its own to brush away the raindrops from his hair.A maid nearby, observing the scene, rushed over with a blanket and an umbrella. However, Grace, fully grasping the gravity of the moment, halted her. Ackno
Cecilia said, "It's fine. Let's give them a week. Rearrange the flight and all the plans for the trip. This is Blake's first time getting married and going abroad for honeymoon. I want to make sure she has a good time."Susan nodded. "Okay, Ms. Samford."Not long after Cecilia left, three editors who used to work for Olivia's company entered her office. All of them spoke in panic, "Ms. Blue, what should we do? Ms. Samford already knows everything. If the legal department finds out about it, will we go to jail?"Olivia remained calm as she said, "Don't panic. Just focus on your work.""But we got into this company through you. What if they say we got into this company through the back door and then fired us?"Olivia sat at her desk, supporting her forehead with her hands. She was obviously panicking. "Don't worry, I'll handle this."You guys can leave now."Olivia did not expect this matter to be exposed so soon. She wondered how Cecilia found out about it. 'Could it be that she'
StartReading Literary was the last place Cecilia wanted to be. But she made an exception this time.Olivia had just finalized a cooperative copyright deal with another website company. Several editors from her own company were there at StartReading Literary. As she entered the office, she saw all the editors from StartReading Literary sitting upright, not daring to make a sound.She also saw her office door was wide open. She frowned as she walked into her office and was surprised to see an unexpected gust.Olivia put down the documents in her hand. "Ms. Samford, what brings you here?"With her legs crossed and Susan standing behind her, Cecilia stared at Olivia, who was in front of her.Cecilia sneered and stood up. She ran her fingers along the desk. "StartReading is actually the last place I want to be. I came here because I found out that you enjoy meddling in other people's affairs. Otherwise, you wouldn't even qualify to see me."Olivia instantly looked wary. She remained s
Liam stood up. He watched as Blake, who looked weary, walked away. "Blake, what do you want me to do so you'll like me?"Blake did not stop walking. Instead, she took even bigger steps and left.She went to the Harper residence, which surprised everyone.Grace asked, "Blake? Why did you come back here? Where's Liam? Why didn't he come back with you?"Blake stuttered, unable to find the words. She just made up an excuse, saying, "It's nothing. I just wanted to come back."After Hannah and Yael left the wedding last night, they went back to the research institute.As for Simon, he went to the farm to manage the business.After Blake went to her room, Grace became worried. She followed her and saw her sitting with a blank expression in the room, not knowing what to do.When Blake saw Grace, she quickly adjusted her mood. "Grace, why are you here?""I came to check on you. Blake, what's wrong? Did you have a fight with Liam? You just had your wedding yesterday, and you're already
The pregnancy test report came out fifteen minutes after Blake did the test. She was indeed pregnant. She was even seven weeks pregnant.Blake had indeed been involved with Kevin while in Northern Myanmar over a month ago.She held the medical report while standing bewildered in the cold hospital corridor. Lights shone through the floor-to-ceiling window onto her body, but all Blake felt was the cold, which made her hands and feet numb.She was lost in her thoughts. 'I'm really pregnant. What should I do with this baby? I want it to be born more than anyone else. But now, everything has changed. This child shouldn't come into this world.'She wandered in the corridor. Suddenly, she saw someone coming out of another gynecological room.She thought, 'Some things are just destined by fate. When I long to see him, even catching a glimpse of him in a dream feels like a luxury, an unattainable wish. But now, when I don't want to see him, it seems he appears everywhere I go.'Kevin supp
Blake wondered, 'I'm now pregnant with Kevin's child. What should I do?'She woke up groggily when she felt someone carry her. She opened her heavy eyelids and asked, "What time is it now?"Liam responded, "It's four-thirty in the morning. It's still early; go back to sleep for a while more."Blake said in a hoarse voice, "I've made an appointment for an abortion at eight o'clock. Regardless of whether I'm really pregnant or not, I don't want to keep this child."She had thought about it all night and believed this was the best decision.Kevin was going to get engaged. Blake believed he would get married and Audrey would give birth to his children. There was simply no need for her to complicate things further.She thought, 'If I choose to be selfish and decide to keep this baby, and if people find out about it, my child will be treated as an illegitimate child. I don't even dare to imagine how badly the child will be treated.'If giving birth to the baby will bring it a lifetime
Blake continued, "What about you, Liam? Do you mind?"If you do, you can choose to divorce me. After all, I've wronged you. No one wants to marry a woman who's carrying someone else's child."Liam stepped forward on the shattered cup and hugged her tightly. "I don't mind. Blake, I love you, including everything about you. I don't mind your past. I just want to start over with you. I didn't tell you about the pregnancy because I was selfish; I wanted to keep you by my side."Blake, your child is my child. I want to raise the baby with you."Don't leave me, okay?"Blake did not know why, but she was not surprised by her pregnancy. However, she felt that there were still some things that she could not let go of, though she was unsure what those were.She was not as calm as she had imagined.She thought about her past events. Then, she indifferently said, "Liam, I don't want this child. Since I'm prepared to be with you, I won't keep this child. It wouldn't be fair to you."Liam di
On this romantic night, the moon was obscured by the clouds.Breathing heavily, Blake felt some pain in her abdomen. She asked to stop. "Liam, my stomach hurts. I think I'm going to have my period soon."Liam sobered up instantly. "I'll go get you some medicine."She peeked out from under the blanket as the bedside lamp turned on. She could clearly see Liam's naked upper body. Her face flushed as she averted her gaze. "It's fine. Just help me call the front desk and ask them to bring up a pack of sanitary pads. I'll go to the bathroom to deal with it."Liam replied, "Let's go to the hospital tomorrow for a check-up."Blake picked up her clothes from the floor and went to the bathroom. "It's okay. It's probably just my period."However, judging by the blood flowing out, it did not seem like menstrual blood to Blake. It looked like something else.Blake's voice came from the bathroom again. "I think we should go to the hospital."She sat on the toilet and watched the tall, slende
Blake had no bridesmaids, so she returned to the hotel room alone. As she stepped out of the elevator and was ready to use the room key card in her hand to swipe and enter the room, she suddenly saw a figure appear from the corner of her eye.She stopped her action and looked at the person who had left the wedding earlier.At that moment, Blake felt her breath catch, but it was only fleeting. She then quickly regained her composure and averted her gaze. She asked, "Didn't you leave? Why are you still here?"Kevin replied, "Congratulations."Upon hearing his congratulations, Blake felt a mix of amusement and discomfort. "There's nothing to congratulate. If anything, I should congratulate you. You're soon to be the mayor's son-in-law. In the future, we won't belong in the same social class anymore."I'm tired and came back to rest. You should leave now before Liam comes up and sees you here."Don't look for me again. I don't want him to misunderstand."Kevin responded, "Audrey and