Zach rubbed his forehead and took a moment to rest in the passenger seat. Then, without saying anything to Cecilia, he quietly left the car. Carrying his black suit over his arm, he walked through the unlocked front door, heading straight for the foyer.Margaret had been half-asleep at the dining table when a noise made her jump. "Oh my... Mr. Jardin?" she said, wide-eyed.Zach hung his jacket on the coat rack without making a fuss. He glanced around the room. "Where's Madelyn?" he asked.Margaret said, "Ms. Jent spent the whole day drawing. I was making her supper for later, but I must've fallen asleep." Her words trailed off as worry etched her face. "Oh no, the creamy chicken soup!" Hastily, she made her way to the kitchen. Upon returning with a steaming bowl of soup, she noticed Zach was no longer there.Madelyn, yawning, emerged from Dalton's room and bumped into Zach, who was coming up the stairs. Their eyes met briefly, and then she averted her gaze. A gust of wind brought t
Inside a black velvet box was a unique ring, gleaming with a red gemstone as precious as any treasure and circled by 520 tiny diamonds glittering in the light. Each diamond was meticulously chosen to ensure a perfect fit within the setting. This red gem stood alone in its splendor, unmatched anywhere else in the world. Its worth was astronomical—over $3 billion in Venturian currency.Madelyn finally drifted off to sleep. But suddenly, she felt the bed dipped beside her, and her hand was grasped; something cold slid onto her ring finger. Her eyes snapped open to find Zach sitting next to her, a ring with a sparkling red gemstone now on her finger. She quickly withdrew her hand and bolted upright."What's going on?" she asked, struggling to remove the ring from her finger.Zach observed her attempt for a brief moment, then with a weary yet resonant voice, he said, "I'm proposing to you."Surprise washed over Madelyn, and her fingers froze.Zach's voice was gentle as he confided, "I'
Rapid footsteps approached the door, followed by a sharp knock. "Mr. Jardin," called a voice from the other side.Zach turned from peering at the door to Madelyn, noting her swollen red eyes and the tear tracks on her face. He softly brushed away her tears with his thumb. "I've got some things to take care of, but I'll be back soon," he assured her with a gentle tone.Zach stood up, and Madelyn, looking mad, chucked a pillow at him. He did not even flinch. Picking up the pillow, he put it back behind her."I'll never marry you!" Madelyn snapped, her eyes fiery.Zach smoothed her hair gently, "Hey, just be good, okay?"Zach exited the room and closed the door behind him. As he walked, he heard sounds echoing--a sign the hallway was not soundproof. Upon going one floor down, he asked his bodyguard, "What's the situation?"Speaking softly, the bodyguard replied, "We caught a paparazzi snapping photos."The warmth in Zach's eyes turned to ice, "Where is he?""He's detained in the l
'This is seriously a nasty weather. If they broke my leg and I had to crawl all the way back home, I wouldn't stand a chance. That place is isolated, with that highway cutting through where wild animals roam. I'd be toast,' he thought with a grimace. 'And that Jardin, he's downright cruel!' The sharp pain in his leg was a harsh reminder of Zach's aggressive behavior.Zach put out his cigarette in the downstairs ashtray and headed back up once the scent had faded. At the far end of the third-floor hallway, Madelyn stood by the window, the cold wind softly lifting her hair. Zach approached her.With a look of concern, Madelyn questioned him, "When will you stop harming others? Surely, there's a better solution. Why did you feel it was necessary to break his arm?"Madelyn turned to Zach with eyes so sad and so full of disappointment that it made something inside him ache. He defended his action, "I needed to show them what happens if they mess with us, to keep anybody from trying to st
Kai's resolve melted as he looked into Lana's eyes, glistening with the trails of recent tears."Madelyn's sick," Kai said with a soft voice. "She's fresh out of surgery and still not out of the woods. I need to go see how she's doing."Lana moved closer and wrapped her arms around him, "Can I tag along this time? I won't make any fuss, I swear. I just want to stick by you. We need you around more, for me and the baby, deal?"Down in the underground parking lot of their apartment, Kai made sure Lana's seat belt was secure, "Stick with me when we get there, okay? And don't worry about the folks there; they're harmless.""Got it. I'll stay put, no worries," Lana said, her voice laced with excitement at the prospect of accompanying him.The previous night's snowstorm had left a chill in the air, prompting Kai to crank up the car's heat before he gently straightened her scarf, "If anything feels off, you tell me, alright?""Alright," she answered.Kai got lost in Lana's smile for a
Lana took a sip and said, "This is actually quite good. I'll ask the maid later how it's made so we could try it at home."Kai agreed, "Sure."Half an hour later, Madelyn woke up in a foul mood, not feeling her best. While arguing with Zach, she got so annoyed that she ended up throwing a pillow at him, which hit his face. This happened just as Kai and Lana came out from Zach's study and entered Madelyn's room.Kai said, "Seems like Madelyn's feeling better now."Madelyn's relationship with Kai was cold; she maintained her usual distance from him. Seeing an unfamiliar pregnant woman at Kai's side, Madelyn offered him a nod of acknowledgment. Zach spent the day picking up pillows, a task that had become routine whenever Madelyn lost her temper. Kai and Lana, acknowledging the situation but choosing not to engage, intertwined their hands and left the room together.Zach handed Madelyn a cup of water and said, "Take your medicine before leaving the bed; you're ill. If you're worried
Stolen feelings never last long. Kai had understood this for a long time. He quietly thought to himself, 'I'm not the hero in Lana's story; Andrew is always the one she cherishes.'Lana was really hurt when Andrew passed away. The hypnosis helped her forget for a little while, but it was not a fix that would last forever. If she tried hard to peel away the false memories and look for anything about Andrew, her memories would come back to her. For now, she remembered things in bits and pieces. Sometimes, she had brief moments when things made sense, yet she could not recall Andrew's name.During that time, Lana did not call out 'Andrew' when she woke up. Kai, grappling with his thoughts, admitted to himself he was self-centered and flawed. He longed to have her close but feared the intimacy; his turmoil left him unsure of his next move.Kai said in a soothing tone, "You seem worried about starting a family. Let's not let it trouble us too much. I'll make more time for us to be togeth
"Thanks a lot. I'm happy to visit today," Lana said with a smile.Madelyn stood at the third-floor window and saw Kai's car pull away. She squinted at the pregnant lady beside him, trying to remember where she had seen her before. 'Wow, Kai's been really secretive. He got married and is having a baby,' Madelyn thought. 'He looked like he genuinely cared for her at dinner. It's unbelievable. Kai and Zach made sure I'd never become a mom. And now, Kai thinks a simple "sorry" makes everything okay? No way. Guys like him deserve to be alone, just like Zach probably will be.'Zach crept up from behind and wrapped his arms around her. "You seem better. Maybe it's time to pay back what's due?" he murmured."Do I owe you something? You've got it all wrong, Zach. I'm not the one in debt here," she snapped back.Zach pondered her sudden anger. He had not made out with her in ages. 'If this keeps up, I might as well take a vow of celibacy,' he mused.As she left the bedroom, Zach was about t