"What about you, sir?" Madelyn asked.The middle-aged man replied, "I've got heart problems. There's a surgery coming up, and honestly, I'm not sure about the outcome."Madelyn hesitated, then whispered, "You'll be fine." She wondered if she was saying it for his comfort or her own.The man looked up from the newspaper, folding it and placing it on his lap as he crossed his legs. His amber eyes met hers, and a warm smile spread across his face. "Thanks for the kind words. I gotta head out." He cast a wary glance at a group of tough-looking people coming their way. "Mind if we hug real quick?"Madelyn hesitated."It's strange, I know," he said, "but you remind me of my wife who passed away. I miss her. Let's call it a bit of solace before my operation."He spoke so gently that Madelyn nodded. "Okay." They hugged briefly, and he dashed off, forgetting his newspaper. As Madelyn reached for it, a shadow loomed above her."Enjoying the breeze?" Zach asked, slipping his black blazer o
Hayson sat there with an oxygen mask on his face, having recently suffered a stroke. His facial features appeared normal, his hand was frozen in a peculiar position, and he was unable to speak. He could not even eat on his own, and all he could do was sit in a wheelchair.His little daughter, just three and a half years old, looked strikingly like Jasmine and sat shyly behind her.Even though four years had passed, Jasmine looked ageless, radiating an even more mature and captivating presence. She was dressed in a dark blue gown decorated with white pear blossom petals, her lips were a soft pink, and her once long hair was now styled in short, loose curls. She also wore a pair of pearl earrings.Margaret, usually a chatterbox, was notably silent that day.Jasmine remained as arrogant and prideful as she always had. She said while holding her little daughter's hand, "Madelyn, it's been years since we last met, and you've only grown more beautiful. This is my daughter, by the way—Sam
It could be considered as a long-awaited family dinner. However, time had passed, and nothing was the same as it used to be.Madelyn recollected herself and came downstairs. She had just washed her face, and there were still water droplets in her tied-up hair.Zach shifted his gaze toward her, and Madelyn noticed it.There was an empty seat between Zach and Yvonne. 'Is that seat meant for me?' Madelyn wondered to herself.Madelyn lowered her gaze, "I'm sorry for keeping you guys waiting."She avoided Zach's piercing gaze that was impossible to ignore. She hesitated for a moment but eventually took a seat next to Jasmine."Come over here!" Zach's gaze instantly turned cold, and his chilly aura felt extremely hostile. Even though Hayson was still alive, Zach had completely taken over the Jent family.Madelyn kept her head down, saying, "This is where I always used to sit. It's not right for me to sit between you and my sister-in-law."The word "sister-in-law" immediately made Zac
That was Madelyn's first time talking back to Jasmine."Crack!" Suddenly, a resounding crack came from the kitchen. The maid, busy working in the kitchen, trembled and dropped a bowl to the ground upon hearing what Madelyn said.It was bizarre. One of them was someone with whom Zach had an ambiguous relationship; the other was his current wife. Madelyn had become one of the many women in Zach's life.Madelyn's face was pale as she coughed a few times. She looked weak and drained. She had just returned from the hospital, so Zach did not force her. Instead, he lovingly served her a bowl of creamy potato soup and had the maid bring it to her."Your body is still recovering. It's better for you to eat something light for now.""Thank you."Madelyn took a bite of the grilled zucchini but did not notice the chili flakes on top. As soon as she chewed it, she began coughing violently, causing her wound to hurt.Zach stared at her, furrowing his brows, an expression he would always put o
Hayson lay on the bed and looked at the photo Madelyn was holding. Suddenly, he twitched as he stared intensely at her. Madelyn had not expected that Hayson would have such a big reaction upon seeing the photo. He even stretched his arm out, attempting to snatch the photo."So... you really know this person, huh? Why is he with Mom?"Madelyn was desperate to find out who he was because he caused her to suffer so much.Kai had harmed her and even wanted her dead. From the way Kai spoke, Madelyn realized that it seemed like the entire Jent family was involved.'Does Zach know about all these too?' she wondered.These unanswered questions were like a fog, trapping Madelyn within it.Madelyn had zero clue about this man in her past life, and if it were not for Kai... she would not even have known about the secret room in Hayson's study.There were simply too many things hidden from her!Hayson got even more agitated and started foaming at the mouth. Madelyn was shocked but quickly
To protect the baby, the safety rails were wrapped in cushions. And if he fell, a soft carpet was on the floor too...One would not notice these details without looking closely.Zach was the one who bought all these from a baby furniture store. He seemed to care even more about Dalton than Madelyn had initially thought.She could not figure out why Zach had changed so much. He clearly hated her to the core in her past life.'Did he hate me in the past life because of Jadie? My father was the one who caused her death, after all...'In the past life, Hayson returned home from a banquet where he got drunk. Madelyn was in her room that night when she heard Hayson breaking into Jadie's room before she screamed desperately for help.Madelyn was jealous of Zach's feelings for Jadie, so she chose to ignore everything happening upstairs. Coincidentally, Zach went on a business trip that day. If she pretended that she did not hear anything, she could leave herself entirely out of it.The
Madelyn gazed at him as some thoughts appeared in her head. Then, she looked away from Zach's gentle eyes, propped herself up with her hand on the bed, and wiped her tears away, "No, I guess some dust flew into my eyes."She lowered her gaze, and Zach glanced at the marks on her neck, "You never dared to look at me whenever you lie. Madelyn, are you really that afraid of me?"If it's because of Yvonne, I'll ask her not to come anymore, okay?"Madelyn replied to him coldly, "It has nothing to do with her.""Or are you still bothered by the fact that I want to marry Yvonne?"Zach wanted to find out what she was thinking from her face, but she remained expressionless. Then, she said without holding back, "Zach Jardin! I don't care who you marry!"I've only loved one person all my life, and it's never going to change."Her words immediately triggered Zach. His gaze had never been so terrifying before, and the chilling aura surrounding him grew stronger. If this happened in the past,
"And..." Yvonne pursed her lips and said hesitantly, "Mom had used your name to send Mrs. Arnold Sr. to the crematory, and we'll be having a funeral for her in seven days. Do you know what's the significance of that day?"Zach raised an eyebrow and asked, "What?""That day is not meant for burial. If a funeral takes place on that day, the deceased will turn into a vengeful spirit..."Zach interrupted her with a chuckle, "Hm? Do you think I killed her?" He put out his cigarette in the ashtray and stood up.Yvonne stood in front of him and felt somewhat disorganized as her heart raced. She panicked and could not even speak properly, "N-No, it-it's not like that! I'm your wife. How could I even accuse you of that? Zach, you're my husband, and I'll always be on your side.""That's enough. Stop with your ridiculous excuses. You can stay here, but I'm only doing this for Madelyn's sake."He then turned around and sat at the desk, "Get out if you're done.""Zach! I really want the best