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