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
After Zach and Yvonne got married, Zach continued staying at Floral Loft.However, he did not require Madelyn to follow him to the office.She had already become the talk of the company when she appeared that day.Since Yvonne was now the rightful wife of Jardin Corporation's CEO, he knew what the people would say if Madelyn showed up again.In the next few days, the entire Ventropolis buzzed with excitement.The news of the marriage alliance between the Jardin Corporation and YTCorp was all over the place,The wedding ceremony was set to be held at the most upscale hotel in Ventropolis.For the next few days leading up to the wedding ceremony, the hotel was closed for business and dedicated themselves entirely to decorating the wedding venue.Meanwhile, Madelyn was under the guard of Yvonne's bodyguards. Madelyn did not go to the hospital again today and went to Mistral Monastery instead. Apart from days with bad weather, Madelyn hiked up to the monastery every single day. She
Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind rushed in as someone opened the door, causing the container to tumble. The cards were scattered and jumbled, with one card landing farther away from the rest.The abbot retrieved it, discovering it was a card of great fortune.Madelyn went to the hospital after she returned from the monastery.Every time she came, Frida would leave the room without even sparing her a glance.On Madelyn's way back from the monastery, she suddenly coughed up blood. All of her bodyguards were shocked. Then, she blacked out and completely lost consciousness.Madelyn had been overexerting herself for the past few days. She practically did not have a proper wink of sleep.The bodyguards hurriedly carried her back to ground level, arriving just as the ambulance did.Madelyn was taken to SereneCare Hospital.While she was wheeled into the emergency, she groggily regained consciousness.The first person she saw was the person she did not want to see—Kai Stewart.He wo
Kai smiled meaningfully at Zach and said, "Came sooner than I thought."'What did I say? He'd eventually fall for her. He could not help himself from falling for her even after he got the DNA test report,' he thought.Zach and Yvonne simultaneously turned to Madelyn. Meanwhile, Madelyn's gaze remained on Kai until Yvonne went to her side and held her hand."Why'd you end up in the hospital all of a sudden? Are you sick?"Yvonne knew about Madelyn's condition.'She's saying this to hide my condition, but I won't rule out the possibility that she has other things in mind,' Madelyn thought.Madelyn looked away and ignored Kai's half-smile. He looked like he was anticipating some drama.She was curious, 'What in the world does Kai want to tell me? Why does he know my mother? Could he be the person who had left the flowers at her grave?'In their previous life, Madelyn did not know of Kai's relationship with her mother.'And... Didn't my mother die from excessive bleeding while giv
'Zach likes obedient women. We've just tied the knot, and our big celebration is the day after tomorrow. I don't want to mess things up between us,' Yvonne thought as she left.Zach and Madelyn were the only ones left in the room. Madelyn felt uneasy being alone with him.The room got awkwardly quiet, making the air feel heavy.Madelyn looked pale, and it wasn't just because she had had a fall.Zach's eyes felt like they were prying into her soul."Have you been talking to him all these years?" he asked, his voice cold."You should focus more on my new sister-in-law than on stuff like this. And you really shouldn't be inappropriate with me, your sister. People will talk, and it'll ruin my reputation."Zach frowned, "Do you have to talk to me this way?"Madelyn looked at him calmly. "Am I wrong? Nobody's more repulsive than you, Zach!"She continued, "I feel disgusted every time you touch me. There's no need for you to put on an act and worry about me. You know better than anyo
Yvonne said, "You don't need to worry about this. Zach won't harm Ethan. After all, Ethan is his brother-in-law."Listening to Yvonne's confident tone, Madelyn remained silent, hoping for a smooth and safe departure with Ethan. Despite this, she could not help feeling a bit uneasy.When Yvonne left, she went downstairs to get medicine for Madelyn.Madelyn didn't trust this hospital, so she threw away all the medicine. 'Who knows if it's safe?'Madelyn felt better and went upstairs to visit Ethan. She sat by his bedside, wet a cotton swab, and moistened his lips. Ethan looked lifeless, like he was gone. Madelyn sat there with him, not knowing how long, with so much to say."Today, the abbot said you will surely recover soon. You've been sleeping for so long. Can you please wake up? Ethan, it'll snow again in Ventropolis in a few months, and I saw the words behind the sculpture at school. It's my name."Madelyn's voice quivered a bit. "I've been talking to you these past few days,
Zach's icy gaze fixed on Madelyn. "You slept in the hospital for a whole day and still haven't had enough sleep? Didn't you know to return if I didn't ask you to?"Madelyn had no idea what he was angry about. His questioning tone was like a parent scolding a child for coming home late.The age gap between Zach and Madelyn was not significant. He was about eight years older than her. Since childhood, he always liked to be in control of her, no matter what it was. Even when she came home from school an hour late, he would meticulously inquire about everything she had done.Madelyn had had a crush on Zach since she was a child. However, he rejected her every time she confessed her feelings to him. He said their relationship would only be that of siblings.At first, Zach had a hostile attitude toward Madelyn. However, he would not allow her to get close to other boys or engage in overly intimate interactions when the boys appeared around her.Madelyn had been hurt before and wanted to