Sunlight filtered through the trees, casting a warm glow in the car's interior. Madelyn couldn't believe that Zach would resort to using their child as leverage to get her to comply.Zach's words echoed in her mind, "If you don't come, he'll go hungry."The message had been relayed to her by the servant. Zach knew her well, knowing that kindness was often more effective with her than intimidation. But now, he was manipulating her by involving their child.Sighing, Madelyn retrieved a bag filled with baby essentials from the closet. She understood that Zach might forget the milk, but intentionally leaving out Dalton's diapers was perplexing. If he needed a change and there were no diapers, it would be inconvenient. Madelyn began to suspect that Zach might have omitted them on purpose.About an hour later, Madelyn arrived at the Jardin Corporation building, with Jordan waiting for her. The tall building felt familiar. She had not wanted to be here; she had hoped Zach would take Dalto
Madelyn held a fork, her eyebrows knit in silence. Without looking at him, she could still feel the intensity of his stare. She wore a beige sweater, her long hair pinned up with a few stray strands falling by her ear. The elegant curve of her neck gave off a gentle and friendly vibe. The aura she exuded was something other women from outside could never match for Zach.Zach knew Madelyn loved fish nuggets. Taking some from the takeout bag, he placed them on her plate."Can't you behave during meals?" Madelyn set down her fork and gently stopped his wandering hand on her chest.Zach said with a mischievous smile, "They have grown quite a bit."Madelyn recalled how he had always been so polite to others, and she wondered why he acted differently around her. It seemed as though there was another side to him, one that was unrestrained. She looked at him and asked, "Why not show more restraint?"He leaned closer, noticing her hair's fragrance. "Didn't you like it more when I was more
As the car left the surveillance area, a person ran onto the road. Jordan hit the brakes hard, and Madelyn lurched forward.Jordan asked, "You okay, Ms. Jent?"Madelyn lifted her head and saw a woman with shoulder-length hair in a black uniform, sporting a Jardin Corporation ID badge. The woman's eyes sparkled with urgency, and she had a simple beauty about her. The woman hurried over, tapping on the window, prompting Madelyn to lower it. "Ms. Jent, can you spare a few minutes? I've got urgent news."Jordan said, "Ms. Jent, Mr. Jardin warned you about talking to strangers."Madelyn hesitated a moment. "What's your name?"The woman replied, "I'm Blake Dion. You may not recognize me, but I'm sure you know my cousin, Mya Harper.""Get in," Madelyn said.As Jordan tried to speak, Madelyn interrupted, "It's okay, Jordan. Take a break for a bit."Blake climbed into the car. Even with the cold, she was sweating. Seeing this, and remembering she had seen Blake rushing from the building
Madelyn was sketching a memory of Mya from four years ago."Ms. Jent," Margaret said, "how about a break with some pudding?"Without looking up, Madelyn replied, "Just leave it there."Seeing Madelyn's concentration, Margaret closed the door, ensuring her privacy. Later, when dinner was ready, Margaret tried to alert Madelyn. But Madelyn responded briefly, indicating she was not ready. Margaret saw the untouched pudding and quietly removed it.At 6:30 pm, Zach left work early. As the Rolls-Royce pulled in, its headlights danced across the windows. The tires crunched against the pavement. Zach, clearly tired, got out with Dalton under one arm, a damp spot on his striped shirt. Inside, the maid was getting the dishes ready to be reheated."Has Madelyn eaten?" Zach asked.Caught off guard by Zach's voice, the maid almost dropped the dishes. "Mr. Jardin, Ms. Jent's been in her art studio since she came home. Margaret tried to call her down, but no luck. I'm just about to heat the din
Around 9:30 that evening, Zach relaxed on the couch in the living room, eager to hear Jordan's news about Madelyn.Jordan started, "Here's the scoop. Ms. Jent chatted with that girl briefly before stepping out of the car. But when she came back, her demeanor had changed."Zach looked at Margaret with a serious face. "What about you? What do you think?"Margaret laughed lightly. "Mr. Jardin, you might be overanalyzing. In two days, it's the birthday bash for a friend of Ms. Jent. The painting? She made it as a gift."Zach asked, "Is the friend's last name Harper?"Margaret just shrugged. "Maybe, but I'm not certain."Zach stood up from the couch. "Got it," he said and headed upstairs.In the study of his master bedroom, he paused by the large windows, gazing at the sky filled with stars. Picking up the phone, he dialed a number.Kevin answered instantly, "Mr. Jardin."Zach said, "Look into it. Around noon today, find out who left the company to meet Madelyn."In a well-lit off
"She's--"Luke interrupted her with a sarcastic laugh, "Got it. She's the little sister of Jardin Corporation's top dog. And how's that your business? If she genuinely cared, she'd be here by now. Thinking the Harper family can rival the Jardin heiress? Wishful thinking. Honestly, after everything with the Harpers, I've had enough."Mya had not realized she had brought trouble upon herself, and now her dad was caught up in it. The makeup artist quickly applied makeup as she sat at the vanity. Afterward, she was led to a changing room and dressed in a used wedding gown. Changing into the gown, Mya noticed the many dark bruises covering her body.'When are you coming to help me, Madelyn?'In college, Mya became friends with Luke, a student always tight on cash.Now, Mya sat alone in the lounge, hugging herself, feeling lonely and ignored. The hushed voices of Luke and a woman making out nearby deepened her sense of isolation.As the clock struck noon, the banquet began. Even with h
After Blake punched Luke, he started bleeding from the corner of his mouth, which sent the party into chaos. Blake quickly grabbed Mya, pulled the ring off her finger, and threw it at Luke, but it bounced off and landed somewhere else."This cheap ring's your idea of love?" Blake snapped. "Luke, you and your freeloading family should just leave."Seeing the guests' shocked reactions, Luke said, "Blake, enough! Don't cause a bigger scene.""What if I want to make a scene? What're you going to do about it? Try and hit me?" Blake challenged.Mya tugged at her arm. "Enough, Blake.""Don't worry about him, Mya," Blake said. "Madelyn's on her way. And once she's here, all these cheaters will have to answer for what they've done. They'll give back every penny they took from the Harper family.""Is she really coming?""Yes.""Ridiculous! Even if someone important were here, this proposal is happening," a woman in a poorly fitting dress interrupted. She was Luke's aunt. "Get her out. Wh
"If the CEO of Jardin Corporation and Madelyn are coming, they'll be welcomed," Luke declared. "You said she'd be coming, right? Let's wait twenty minutes. If they don't show up, we'll start the party.""Alright, twenty minutes," Mya replied. "We aren't scared."Luke's aunt chimed in, "It's like we've never met important people before. What's the big deal?"A teenage boy sitting nearby turned to his sister and asked, "Do you think Mya knows the woman from the Jent family? I've never heard Mya mention her.""I don't know, so quit asking!" she replied, clearly irritated."Did you sneak into Mya's closet and wear her clothes again? I've told you, those outfits look good on Mya, but on you? Not so much," he said."Ugh! You're always talking about Mya. If you like her so much, why don't you just make her your sister and leave me out of it?" she retorted.The waitstaff at Supreme World set the table and cleaned everything up fast. Luke wanted fresh dishes. Only two minutes of the twen