That night was the only time Zach kept his word. However, his hands were roaming Madelyn's torso, arousing her.The next morning when Madelyn was still deep in sleep, she suddenly felt him entering her. Trying hard not to moan, she bit her lip, waiting for him to finish.Madelyn felt completely drained. Zach gently carried her to the bathroom to clean her before bringing her back to bed. She was so exhausted that she fell asleep again. When she woke up, the spot next to her was empty.She got up after a while, put on her clothes, and unsteadily walked out of the room.Zach had already prepared a meal for her and put it on the dining table.Madelyn just took a few bites. At twelve in the afternoon, when the housekeeper came to clean, she told Madelyn, "Mr. Jardin has an urgent matter to attend to. You can go out and enjoy yourself. Here's the cash he left for you."The housekeeper took out a stack of money. There were at least several tens of thousands of dollars.Madelyn lowered
The bodyguards were worried. They believed that if Madelyn kept going like this, her legs might give out, even if they weren't hurt.When Madelyn finally reached the mountaintop, it had taken her nearly three hours. The place was buzzing with tourists and believers alike. She bought a bouquet of fresh flowers from a young girl and went into the prayer building.Madelyn found a seat, closed her eyes, and folded her hands, but her mind was empty. She didn't have any more wishes like she used to. Or to be exact, she didn't know what to wish for anymore.Safety for her family? Her one and only father had already abandoned her.Friends? Her friends always seemed to have their own hidden agendas.As for love, Madelyn had already decided she wouldn't get married in this lifetime.'I'm all by myself. What else is there to wish for? Good health? Can I even live a long life? I have very limited time.'"We meet again, Ms. Jent," the abbot, who had been quietly standing there, suddenly gree
The top of Mistral Mountain was incredibly high, and it offered a breathtaking view of the sunset. The setting sun's rays bathed Madelyn in a warm glow. A bodyguard received a call from Zach and approached her. "Ms. Jent, Mr. Jardin would like to speak with you."Madelyn took over the phone and asked, "Is something wrong?""Get home soon. Don't let me worry about you. It's dangerous when you go down the mountain, so behave and take the cable car, okay?" Zach demanded.Yvonne's voice came not long after, "Zach, I've changed into another gown. Let's take another set of photos."Madelyn hung the phone up and passed it to the bodyguard. She then said, "Let's go back."The bodyguard pointed out to Madelyn, "Ms. Jent, the cable car is this way."Madelyn didn't reply, just kept on walking. By the time she reached the mountain's base, the sky had darkened. The path ahead was barely visible, and her accompanying bodyguards, filled with trepidation, had their flashlights beaming to light t
"He is fine now," Yvonne said.Due to Zach's presence, Yvonne dared not speak of the incident. However, she was secretly delighted. If Madelyn asked about Ethan, it would mean she still cared for him. It was the same for Ethan. He was in a coma while still holding to his last breath. It was all to wait for her return.'Glad to hear that he's okay,' Madelyn thought. She could finally let go of the burden she had all those years.Zach sent Yvonne back. Yvonne originally wanted to let Zach stay at her house tonight. However, she would rather not make him mad."Madelyn, come visit me next time." said Yvonne.Madelyn nodded.As soon as the car doors shut, Zach lifted Madelyn's chin and said, "After all these years, you still can't put him out of your mind. Have I been too good to you, Madelyn? Is that why you'd even dare to bring him up in front of me again?" There was anger in his voice.Madelyn met Zach's furious gaze. In comparison, her expression was calm."What do you plan to d
But Yvonne was okay with it. In a short while, she and Zach would be getting their marriage certificate at the Clerk of Court's office. She believed that after today, she would be Mrs. Jardin officially; the one and only wife of Zach, and nobody could challenge her status.Everybody had their own self-centered side, and Yvonne was no different. She wasn't willing to put up with their relationship for long. Once she and Zach got married, she secretly planned to send Madelyn overseas.Yvonne sidled up to Madelyn, lowering her voice to say, "Ethan never really planned on marrying Donna, you know.""He'd made up his mind before you left. If you weren't okay with the kid, he was going to give the child back to Donna and ask her to move out of the Arnold residence. He'd find someone else to raise the child," Yvonne confided quietly.She continued, "Remember that news about Ethan getting married two years ago? All a sham. He did the interview to put on a show because Donna was threatening
"Push back all unnecessary meetings in the afternoon," Zach ordered."Yes, Mr. Jardin," Kelvin answered.Zach then glanced at Madelyn. His voice was cold, "The bodyguard will send you back later."Madelyn obliged, "Mmm." Madelyn lowered her gaze.After a long time, the bodyguard walked over and said, "Ms. Jent, Mr. Jardin has already left. We still have two hours to visit the hospital."For safety reasons, Madelyn left in another car. The other vehicle had a GPS tracker, allowing Zach to track her location using his phone.In the car, the bodyguard gave her a gray orderly's uniform and a face mask. He passed it to Madelyn and said, "There are many people who work for Mr. Jardin in the hospital. You must disguise yourself and pretend to be a hospital orderly to enter. This is your identification card, and you need to hang it on your neck.""Okay," Madelyn answered.The bodyguard turned around to give Madelyn some privacy to change her clothes. Madelyn just put the uniform over h
Madelyn's emotions were a tangle of confusion and dread as she pushed through the door into the sterile hospital room. The sharp scent of disinfectant assailed her senses, heightening her unease.The moment the door swung open, she saw a man lying on the hospital bed, his face obscured by a respiratory mask. He was emaciated, still in a coma. His hand bore a large, discolored patch of burned skin. He seemed devoid of any signs of healthy flesh.If Madelyn hadn't known that the man before her was Ethan, she might not have recognized him at all. She clamped a hand over her mouth, unable to hold back her silent tears.'How did things get to this point?' she thought. Her legs felt like they were made of lead; she wanted to approach him but couldn't summon the strength.'Is all of this my fault?' swirled through her mind.A voice inside her resonated with guilt: 'This happened because of you. He was in that accident searching for you. If you hadn't run away, he wouldn't be in this cond
Zach took the pen from Kevin. Then, he signed at the bottom of the paper and handed it to Kevin."Give this to the legal department.""Yes, sir."Zach had always been someone who would go to any lengths to achieve his goals, not to mention a mere fake marriage like this.To him, it did not matter who his bride was."No need for lunch today.""What's going on? Do you have to head back to the office? We just got married, you know. Honey, can't you stay with me just this once? We've never really shared a meal together. Can't we make an exception today, just for me?""Yvonne, you need to know where to draw the line. Don't get too lost in the role."Yvonne felt a chill at his words. Zach climbed into the car without another word and drove off."Mr. Jardin, should we head to the office or to Floral Loft?"Zach closed his eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose.'I've accomplished what I set out to do, but why do I feel this growing sense of irritation?' he wondered."H