At midnight, thunder boomed, jolting everyone awake. It echoed through Southern Haven Villas, making Dalton cry. Madelyn soothed him until he was calm, changed the wet sheets, and tossed them into the laundry hamper.The thunder outside continued. Madelyn decided to take Dalton to Zach's study. Dalton had recently put on some weight, so her arms began to ache after holding him. She sat on the couch and entertained Dalton with small toys. They were okay in the study, but Dalton started to cry again once they stepped outside.Madelyn gently tapped Dalton's nose, "Are you that scared of thunder?""Ma-Mama."Madelyn did not respond."Mama.""Ah, Ma-Mama."Madelyn looked at him, and he yawned. She tenderly picked him up, ready to head back to the room. Just then, she heard the sound of a car pulling up outside, and its headlights flashed past. Unfazed, Madelyn turned off the lights in the study and headed back to her room.Kai looked up at the upper floor, helping a drunken Zach out
Madelyn lay still, feeling overwhelmed, as morning began to break.After an intimate night, Zach, who was drenched in sweat, woke up. He gently lifted a drained Madelyn, taking a moment to freshen up in the bathroom. He then returned her to the bedroom to rest. In the dim light, he gazed at her, tracing her face, and whispered, "One day, I'll make sure you willingly stay by my side. Don't even think about running away again. This time, it's just the two of us. No Cecilia. Even if we never have kids."The dim room was filled with the echo of Zach's voice. Madelyn, too tired to fully grasp what he was saying, struggled to keep her eyes open. Eventually, she succumbed to sleep. When she awoke, the clock pointed to noon, and she noticed Dalton was no longer there. She sat up sore and tired, with the marks on her skin hinting at the intensity of the night before.She was interrupted by a knock, "Ms. Jent, are you awake?" It was Margaret.Madelyn replied, "Come on in."Margaret entered
The snowfall reminded her of Ethan's visit to Paris. Ethan, dressed in a black coat, sat on her favorite long wooden bench with snowflakes settling on his shoulders. After brushing them off, he waited for her for a long time."Ms. Jent, why are you crying?" Margaret entered and saw Madelyn sitting on the floor with tears streaming down her face. Concerned, Margaret quickly approached and asked, "What happened?" She tried to comfort Madelyn, wiping away her tears.Madelyn said, "It's okay. I'm fine."Margaret noticed the person in the photo album Madelyn was holding, "Who's this? She's so beautiful!" Eager to get a closer look, she picked up the photo, saying, "She looks like something out of a fairy tale."Madelyn replied, "That's my mom."Margaret grinned, "That makes sense. You have that same fairy tale look."Only the Jent family's old servants knew about Alicia, the previous lady of the house.Madelyn began softly, "My mom was always such a gentle soul. She loved painting an
Zach's lips curved into a subtle smirk.Madelyn looked around at the photos she had just set up, feeling quite pleased. "Weren't you heading to the office?" she asked."Why can't I spend some time at home with you?" Zach asked, reaching out and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Does it still hurt?"Despite trying to remain calm, Madelyn was taken aback by Zach's forward comments. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink, and she gently pushed his hand away. "Thanks for asking," she said with a hint of coolness. "I'm doing much better now."Zach raised an eyebrow at her response, "Still not used to me, huh?"Zach's outburst took Madelyn by surprise. Keeping her cool, she said, "If you care about me, a 'thank you' is appropriate, right? Don't dump your outside frustrations on me."When she tried to step back, Zach's hold on her wrist stopped her, pressing her against the wall. His eyes showed clear irritation, "When will you start thinking? You know a simple 'thanks' isn
Madelyn caught her breath. Zach helped her into a fresh skirt before carrying her downstairs to eat. Dalton, his face showing signs of healing, played with his spoon as he sat in a kiddie chair. The maids smiled, watching the couple come down the stairs. After Madelyn took her seat beside Zach, a maid swiftly brought over a bowl of chicken soup. Seeing it, Madelyn's face showed a hint of displeasure."You don't like the soup?" Zach asked."It just tastes different from what I'm used to."Understanding her, Zach said, "You don't need to eat it." He signaled to the maid, "Take it away."The maid nodded, replying, "Yes, Mr. Jardin," and promptly removed the bowl.Zach then asked, "Ready to dig in?"Madelyn always took her time eating. Even as a kid, finishing just one plate of food could take her up to half an hour. Her father, Hayson, had a saying: "Stay quiet at the dinner table and bedtime." Because of that, she usually did not chat during meals unless someone spoke to her first.
Zach was always spontaneous. He guided Madelyn to the driver's seat in the garage and fastened her seatbelt."No lectures today," Zach said. "Start by reversing the car. Remember how I taught you?"Madelyn gripped the steering wheel. "It's been a while; I think I've forgotten," she said with a hint of nervousness. "Can you show me again? I promise I'll pay closer attention."Zach looked at her sternly. "You excel in many areas, but driving isn't one of them. When will I ever trust you behind the wheel alone?" He was just commenting offhand. Even if she learned the basics, she would not be allowed to drive alone.Madelyn's driving skills were clearly lacking for Zach to be so direct. Yet, she was not the type to back down easily. With a resolute tone, she said, "I'll improve with more practice. Not everything's as clear-cut as you think."Zach chuckled, nodding, "All right. I'm eager to see your progress."Madelyn had a tough time driving, taking nearly twenty minutes to back out
"Do you remember him?"Madelyn asked, "Did I know him before? Or were we supposed to?"Zach replied, "You don't need to know him. If you see him, just keep your distance; you don't want to be on his radar."Madelyn tried to recall anything about Fred. After Zach carried her to her room, he told Margaret to keep an eye on her and ensure she did not wander around.As Zach came downstairs, a black car pulled up outside the Jardin residence. A man stepped out, his scar over one of his eyes giving him an intimidating look. Snowflakes clung to the badge on his shoulder and his tall boots. The maids were hesitant to approach."Sir, who are you looking for?""I'm looking for the master of the house," a man who appeared to be a prison officer replied.Fred gestured for his deputy to step back, "Where's Zach? I'm a friend of his.""Mr. Jardin is—"Before the maid could finish, Zach interrupted, "Got a lot of free time lately?"Fred's cold eyes met Zach's as he approached, and the maid
Madelyn figured that Mya would not be this scared by just bumping into Zach. So, it could only be Fred, who had just come to the house earlier.Besides, Zach had promised Madelyn that he would not do anything to Mya.Mya walked over and sat cross-legged on the floor with Madelyn before saying with a serious expression, "Fred? Fred Turner? The person who's in charge of the largest prison in Ventropolis?"Madelyn replied hesitantly, "I guess so."Mya took a deep breath and held her face in panic, "Oh no... I'm going to die! Boo-hoo... If I knew it was him, I wouldn't have gotten into his car even if Serena beat me to death.""You and Fred?" Madelyn could not imagine what connection Mya would have with Fred.Mya could not stop rubbing her face, wearing a comical expression of despair.Then, she grabbed Madelyn's hand and cried, "I'll tell you the whole story. I went shopping the other day and bumped into Serena pretending to be you. I scolded her, and she called other people to bea
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