Mya's escape from the fifteenth floor of the hospital had not gone unnoticed. Someone had snapped pictures and videos of her escape and circulated them online swiftly.Since the launch of Jardin Corporation's social media platform, which had been promoted alongside the development of AI chips, keypad phones had become obsolete. The introduction of new smartphones marked the dawn of a new technological era.Finishing his last meeting, Zach headed to SereneCare hospital.In the ward, Kai was meticulously stitching up Madelyn's finger wound, applying medicine with precision. He said, "You know, you could be a bit more careful. Hurting yourself like this is senseless. It pains him to see you in pain and ultimately, you're the one who suffers."Madelyn remained expressionless, silent.After Kai finished bandaging Madelyn's finger, Lana entered and announced, "Kai, dinner's ready."Madelyn withdrew her hand.As Kai stood and stowed the medicine in the cabinet for Madelyn, he remarked,
Zach continued enthusiastically, "When you want to take a break from reading, you could try some games our gaming department developed; you might enjoy it. And if there's a particular game you want, just let me know."He was like an old man with an endless stream of thoughts to share.Madelyn's patience wore thin. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the phone onto the bed. "Zach, I don't need any of this," she declared, exasperated.'He declares his love one moment, but he might as well claim my life the next.' Madelyn thought to herself.Zach, undeterred, replied gently, "It's okay if you don't accept it now, Madelyn. One day, you might, and I'll wait. I may not know how to love someone properly, but I'm willing to learn, step by step."Madelyn's tolerance faded. She pushed his hand away and stepped back. She said flatly, "You're beyond saving."Zach chuckled lightly, "Perhaps you're right.""And you're a madman," Madelyn accused."You might say that," Zach agreed, unfazed.
Madelyn acted swiftly and yanked the power cord from Zach's laptop. Without its battery attached, the laptop instantly blanketed the screen in darkness.Zach just slightly raised an eyebrow, not uttering a word about the call's abrupt end. He shed his black suit jacket and draped it over the chair Madelyn had just been sitting on. He said, "Your old number didn't have an area code; most numbers now require a reset and transfer process. I found it too troublesome and canceled your old number. You'll use this new number from now on, okay?"Zach spoke as if the matter was light and breezy. His tone suggested that this was a done deal, a decision made for Madelyn without consent.Angered by Zach's audacity, Madelyn grabbed a pillow from the bed and hurled it at him. She said, "My phone number is mine to decide on. Who gave you the right to just cancel it, Zach? Are you out of your mind?"The pillow bounced harmlessly off his chest, leaving him unfazed. Calmly picking it up, Zach return
Madelyn could not empathize with Kai's seemingly guilt-free acceptance of the affection. Returning to her room, she intended to sleep alone. However, she woke up in her original hospital ward, awakened by a scorching heat.After several failed attempts to push the source away, Madelyn became alarmed when she noticed something amiss with her right ring finger. Her face darkened upon realizing that Zach had slipped the ring back onto her finger without her realizing it. When she tried to remove it, she felt it was loose.In the dark room, as Madelyn got close to him, she could hear the clear beat of his heart. Just as she was about to free herself from the ring completely, Zach caught her hand. He halted her and placed her hand around his waist.Zach's deep voice resonated in the darkness, "Go to sleep. We'll go home after we get the medical report tomorrow."Zach seemed resolved to prevent her from taking off the ring again. Recently, Madelyn had noticed the simple band he consisten
Madelyn promptly removed the ring Zach had put on her finger again and placed it under his pillow. Usually, the slightest noise would awaken him with vigilance, but not this time.Recently, the staff at Jardin Corporation were like cats on a hot tin roof with their work. Even Zach had been arriving at the company an hour early every day and leaving precisely at 5:30 p.m. to accompany Madelyn to the hospital. Most of his work was now being conducted in the hospital room. Whether attending meetings or dealing with paperwork, he managed it all by her bedside.Madelyn did not understand why Zach had to be there all the time if he was so busy. She felt uneasy with his constant presence during her check-ups at the hospital.The next morning, it was still dark at 6:30 a.m. when Kevin arrived at the private ward and found Zach, who appeared tired and irritable. When Zach noticed the lobby's emptiness, his gaze turned sharp, and asked, "Where is she?"Confused, Kevin responded, "Mr. Jardin,
Zach retrieved the ring from his suit pocket and tried to place it on Madelyn's finger once more. Madelyn reacted as if she had seen something terrifying, desperately trying to pull her hand away. However, Zach's firm grip prevented her from succeeding."This is the third and final time," Zach warned sternly. "Do not remove it again, or you'll be in trouble.""What else can you do besides threatening me?" Madelyn retorted.Zach did not release Madelyn's hand after putting the ring on her finger. He said, "I just want you to be good. I'll be busy for a while, but I expect you to accompany me to the company's annual meeting as the future Mrs. Jardin."Madelyn felt sweaty and anxious at Zach's words. She said, "You're crazy! Let Cecilia accompany you, not me!"Madelyn had rarely appeared in the media. Even when her family was still influential, her father, Hayson, had protected her well by keeping her away from media scrutiny. She had her fair share of teenage rebellions. However, de
Unsure of what Zach was contemplating after being silent for a while, the technician offered another possibility, "If the laptop hasn't been tampered with, another reason could be a sudden power outage. If the battery is depleted and the plug is pulled directly, it can cause an improper shutdown that could damage the system files. To fix the laptop, we have to reinstall the operating system. There's no other way."What the technician said was something Zach should have thought of earlier. He played a rhythmic pattern on his desk with his fingers. Then, he lifted his wrist to check the time. "Prepare a new laptop for me immediately," Zach ordered, "and notify the senior executives to send copies of all important documents for the year to my email."Kevin, observing that Zach was not showing much emotion on his face, figured that the laptop's malfunction was probably related to last night's international video conference. He had been taking notes when suddenly, the laptop made a noise,
Margaret clumsily hit the record button and sent the video of Madelyn eating the chicken potato soup to Zach."My goodness, Ms. Jent. You look so beautiful on camera," Margaret exclaimed, obviously pleased with her filming skills."That's enough. I've finished the soup. If you need money because things are tight at home, I'm willing to cooperate with you on one condition: you must never betray me," Madelyn sternly instructed Margaret.Margaret happily picked up the bowl, made a sweeping gesture with her hand, and said, "Don't worry, Ms. Jent. I will take care of it. I'm definitely on your side."I'm just focused on Mr. Jardin's money," Margaret admitted candidly.Madelyn knew Zach could easily bribe Margaret. She concluded that if Margaret were to side with Zach, she would not have anyone she could trust in the long run."Okay. You can go now," Madelyn said, eager for some peace and quiet."Yes, Ms. Jent," Margaret nodded before leaving the room.Meanwhile, Zach received a noti