Ch. 1121..1130
Chapter 1121
Blake said, “I’m fine, don’t worry. I’m sharp-witted, and I know what needs to be done.”
Kevin raised his hand to check the time. He turned to knock on the door of the ward before opening the door to walk in. “Time’s up. Blake, you can leave now.”
Blake responded, “I don’t want to leave. I haven’t finished talking to Madelyn yet.”
Madelyn said, “It’s fine. Zach won’t be back for a while. Just stay here with me for a little longer.”
Blake agreed, “That’s right.”
Kevin felt Blake was taking advantage of her relationship with Madelyn. He nodded, “Mrs. Jardin, if you feel unwell, call me. I’ll be just outside the door.”
Madelyn replied, “Okay.”
Kevin glanced at Blake’s triumphant expression and chose to ignore her as he left the ward.
This floor was fully guarded, and regular people could not just enter easily. Kevin listened to the laughter coming from the ward and thought, ‘I have to admit, Blake’s good at flattering people.’
About half an hour later, Blake, afraid that Zach might suddenly return, quickly packed up and left the ward.
She looked at Kevin who was instructing the bodyguards nearby. When she passed by him, she said, ” Scumbag.”
Kevin stopped talking and grabbed Blake whom he thought was unruly. He continued saying to the assistant, ” That’s all for now. Go and handle it immediately.”
The assistant responded, “Okay.”
Blake, flustered, said, “Why are you grabbing me? If you don’t let go of me, I’ll shout!”
Kevin frowned as he stared at her. “So inappropriate. Blake, when’ll you change this temperament of yours? So noisy.”
Blake retorted, “I’m loud and noisy, so what? Am I bothering you? Yes, I don’t speak as gently as your Ms. Parker! So go to hell!”
She then stomped on Kevin’s leather shoe hard and left briskly. Kevin looked at the shoe print on his shoe and frowned slightly. Blake did not expect to encounter the person she absolutely did not want to run into while waiting for the elevator.
She became very tense the moment the elevator doors opened.
She said, “Hi, Mr. Jardin!”
Zach had a very strong presence, and his intense gaze alone could intimate people.
He responded, “Hmm.”
Blake stood straight as if she was attending morning assembly in school. In the brief duration of two to three seconds, the intense emotional turmoil she experienced felt as though it had stretched across a much longer period.
With her eyes closed, she said in one breath, “Mr. Jardin, when I went back to the office to get Ms. Samford’s laptop today, I saw intimate photos of you and her in the drawer, as well as a picture of your back in a hotel with her lying on the bed set as the desktop background on Ms. Samford’s laptop. Today, I also saw Ms. Samford’s medical examination report, indicating she’d been pregnant for a month or two. So, I’d like to ask, is that child yours?”
She thought she would not get a response from the mighty Zach, after all, she was just an insignificant employee of his.
Moreover, considering the things she had done in the company before this, not getting fired was already considered fortunate.
To her surprise, she heard a cold voice from behind her.
Chapter 1122
Zach said, “Cecilia’s goal is to sow discord, and you’ve done well on this matter.”
Blake thought, ‘What? Is Mr. Jardin praising me?’
She turned back to look and saw Zach had already walked far away. ‘Did that really happen?’
She could not believe that Zach could be so nice. Back when she was working under Kevin, she would get scolded three or four times a day. She was very happy that she was actually being praised today.
Madelyn, seeing Zach returning so quickly after Blake just left not long ago, assumed that the two had met at the elevator door.
Zach frowned when he noticed the box of strawberry cream cake in Madelyn’s hands. He immediately took it from her. “Did you forget what the doctor said? You can’t eat these things as you’ve just woken up.”
Madelyn responded, “I just had a little bite. Did you say anything to Blake when you met her just now?”
Zach helped Madelyn lie down on the bed and covered her with the blanket. He then checked the time on his watch. “You still have to wait a while before taking the medicine. Rest for now. If you feel uncomfortable, call me.”
Zach had been a dominant figure in the business world for many years. He was admired by many people and was someone nobody dared to offend. But now, he actually stayed with a woman by her hospital bed, taking care of everything for her. Someone like Zach could easily have countless women willingly sleep with him, and even do anything for him willingly.
For some reason, Madelyn appeared to have become his one weak spot. If someone were to use Madelyn to threaten Zach, he would likely be willing to offer that person everything. The outward perception of their wedding was very positive, with people envying and admiring them.
Madelyn was lost in her thought, ‘This so-called affection of Zach is nothing more than a facade.
‘Only I know what kind of a devil Zach truly is. His kindness is merely a show for others. He’s a true businessman, prioritizing his own interests. How could a person like him fall in love?
‘Zach, just like me, is merely putting on a show.’
After resting for some time in the hospital, Madelyn’s condition gradually improved.
However, as for Kai, Lana heard him keep coughing when he was reviewing patient records. She was worried about his health, but whenever she asked him about it, he would just reassure her that he was fine.
Lana, supporting her belly, replaced his coffee with a cup of warm water. Kai grabbed the cup and took a sip before glancing down.
Lana explained, “Ever since you woke up from what happened, you’ve been coughing all the time. I was worried that coffee might be bad for your throat, so I switched it to water for you.
Kai clenched his fist and coughed onto it. He had been frowning. “Zach always acts without considering the consequences. I’ll see how he explains himself when Frida returns.”
Lana brought a chair and sat beside him. “Is Yvonne’s condition very bad now?”
Kai responded, “She has irreversible vocal cord damage, and as a doctor, I can only do my best. The final outcome depends on fate. If what happened to Maddie is truly Yvonne’s doing, this is what Yvonne deserves. I won’t even help her treat her face.”
Kai noticed the change in Lana’s expression and sensed something. So, he had to explain, “Maddie’s mother raised me. I only see Maddie as my sister. You don’t need to be jealous of her. I promised Ms. Wood to protect Maddie, and I can’t go back on my word.
Lana nodded. “I understand. I’ve never misunderstood anything between you. It’s just that I feel you might be overly concerned about her. Sometimes, you’d leave right away just because she called. I…”
A hint of happiness flashed in Kai’s narrow eyes. “Hey, you’re always overthinking. It’s getting late, you should sleep. I’ll sleep after I finish looking at these case files.”
Lana believed Kai.
Chapter 1123
Kai noticed Lana, who had started walking away, stopped, standing in front of him. He asked, “Is there anything else you want to say?”
Lana looked troubled as she shook her head, “It’s nothing.”
Lana actually wanted to tell him that she always dreamed of someone, a person she felt very familiar with, and she would feel very sad every time. She had been dreaming about this man for a long time, and she did not know why this was happening to her.
However, she had been keeping this matter to herself and decided not to tell Kai. She did not want him to worry.
Lana thought it might be due to her impending labor, or maybe she was just overthinking things. A few days later, Madelyn went downstairs for a walk under the sun with bodyguards protecting her.
She was recovering well, and she would be ready to leave the hospital in two days.
Madelyn did not like staying in the hospital. She felt that recuperating at home or elsewhere, it was all the same.
A bodyguard said, “Mrs. Jardin, Mr. Jardin has some matters to attend to and has to leave the hospital for a while. He’ll be back in about an hour.”
Madelyn replied, “You don’t need to tell me things like where he goes, what he does, and when he comes back.”
The bodyguard quietly stepped back without responding, standing behind her.
Madelyn looked at the two swans in the artificial lake. The gentle breeze caused ripples on the water’s surface. The sunlight was very warm today. She felt warm being shone on by the sunlight- the temperature was just right. This kind of weather was rare in Ventropolis.
Time passed very quickly; five years had passed since she left. Not far away, a person wrapped up tightly in her clothes sat in a wheelchair. The caregiver behind her suddenly left.
Madelyn did not care too much about it. After a while, she stood up and left, with the bodyguards following her closely as usual. She went back to her ward, had lunch, and took a nap. Zach still had not returned after she woke up.
Madelyn believed he had probably gone to look for Cecilia.
For the past few days, Zach’s phone had been receiving messages all the time. He also received many calls, but he never picked them up. Despite that, Madelyn knew very well who had been calling Zach.
In the evening, when Madelyn was having dinner, she found a note under her plate. The note stated: [If you want to know about news regarding my brother, come to this place to see me.] Yvonne’s name was written after the sentence.
Madelyn was stunned. When she saw that name, she felt a strong feeling of nostalgia, as if more than ten years had passed.
She never expected that one day she would hear news about him. Madelyn, uneasy, covered her chest. ‘I knew it. Ethan is still alive, I didn’t cause his death!”
She almost did not eat her food. After putting down her cutlery, she hurriedly ran out of the ward with the note in her hand.
“Mrs. Jardin, Mr. Jardin said you can’t leave,” A bodyguard reminded. Madelyn replied, “I’m going upstairs to look for Dr. Stewart. Do you want to come with me too?”
The bodyguard nodded, “Sorry, Mrs. Jardin, but we have to follow you wherever you go.”
Chapter 1124
Madelyn still went upstairs to find Kai in the office. He looked at the handwriting on the note and believed it looked like Yvonne’s handwriting. ‘Instead of focusing on recovering, she’s using this to lure Madelyn over to her.’
He squinted and pondered before saying, “Go and look for her. Who knows, maybe she really does have news to tell you. I’ll take care of the bodyguards for you. You can use the emergency passage in my office. If Zach comes over, I’ll text you. I’ll give you only ten minutes. After ten…cough, cough…After ten minutes, if you haven’t returned, I’ll go look for you myself.”
Madelyn watched as Kai kept coughing. Ever since his recovery, his coughing problem had not improved. Madelyn did not ask him about it, as she believed since he was a doctor himself, he would be capable of taking care of such a minor issue.
She left through the passage after she thanked him. Madelyn managed to smoothly arrive at Yvonne’s ward. Yvonne was sitting on the bed. The nurse had already applied medicine to the burns on her face. However, besides Yvonne, Frida was also present.
Frida’s eyes were filled with hatred when she saw the unexpected visitor. ” Why are you here? I don’t want to see you, get lost.”
Yvonne, with a hoarse voice, said, ” Mom, I asked her to come. Can you leave us alone for a bit?”
After the nurse finished treating the wounds on Yvonne’s face, she left with her medical tray. When she passed by Madelyn, she greeted, “Mrs. Jardin.”
Madelyn greeted back indifferently. After everyone left, Yvonne sarcastically said, “Madelyn, how does it feel to have successfully taken away what’s mine?
“I didn’t expect that you’d still shamelessly stay by his side after knowing your relationship with him. Don’t you find yourself disgusting?”
After receiving the note, Madelyn knew Yvonne would not reveal information about Ethan to her so easily. Madelyn pursed her lips. She had not expected Yvonne to become what she looked like now, with her appearance destroyed. Madelyn still remembered that Yvonne cared about her appearance and how she looked in Zach’s eyes.
Madelyn replied, “You know that I never wanted to take anything from you. If I really wanted to be with Zach, I wouldn’t have left for four years back then. And you know the reason I left.”
Yvonne suddenly laughed, her voice was hoarse and sharp. “So, now you’re showing off to me, letting me know that my brother and Zach are both devoted to you. But don’t forget, Madelyn! Zach and you are blood- related, you are siblings. If you get married, that’s incest, and it’s immoral!”
Yvonne gripped the blanket tightly. Although her face was not clearly visible, her eyes appeared extremely terrifying, like a vengeful monster. She looked nothing like she was in the past, confident, full of spirit and vigor. All of this was a result of that plane crash that had destroyed her.
The veins on the back of Yvonne’s hands bulged. She desperately wanted to see Madelyn break down. However, it did not happen. Madelyn remained calm as ever.
Madelyn just quietly looked at Yvonne, she did not know how to express what she wanted to say.
She felt that if Yvonne found comfort in believing that she and Zach were related, she was inclined not to reveal the truth to her.
“Why aren’t you shocked? You should break down. You should leave him!” Yvonne got off the bed and tightly grabbed Madelyn’s shoulders, shaking her desperately. She was acting unhinged, and her eyes widened as she stared intensely at Madelyn.
Chapter 1125
Madelyn said, “Yvonne… Zach said the plane crash had nothing to do with him, and I don’t know if there are any hidden details. It doesn’t make sense for you to hold this hatred against me.”
“Why should I hate him? He’s my husband. I believe whatever he says. The person I hate is you. You took everything away from me,” Yvonne said deliriously. She covered her chest and continued, “You don’t know how much I love him. I can give him everything. But why did you have to come back? It’s all because of you!”
Yvonne suddenly grabbed Madelyn. Tears streamed down her face as she begged, “Madelyn, I beg you, please don’t marry him. Can you give Zach back to me? Please give him back to me! I’ll kneel before you and beg.”
Madelyn felt sorry for Yvonne, watching her, who had become insane for a man. Suddenly, she remembered her past life-how she, too, had behaved like Yvonne for Zach.
Yvonne knelt on the ground, looking up, clutching Madelyn’s hand. Madelyn had a sour feeling in her nose. She glanced aside to wipe away her tears before turning back to Yvonne and slowly crouched in front of her. ”
Perhaps, we were once friends. Let me tell you, Zach and I won’t have a future. I won’t stay with him forever.
“Yvonne, there’s more to the world than just Zach. You have your mother and friends who used to be so close to you.”
Yvonne, overwhelmed with joy, responded, “You’re promising me that you won’t marry him, and you’ll give him to me, right?!”
Madelyn nodded and gave her a definite answer, “Yes, I don’t love him, and I won’t marry him.”
In the past fifteen minutes, voices could be heard from inside Yvonne’s ward. So, Kai waited for a while. Until half an hour had passed, he heard a voice with a sense of urgency. “Nurse… Someone fainted,” Madelyn said.
Kai and Frida rushed into the ward. By the time the nurse arrived, Kai had already left with Madelyn.
Back in the office, Kai poured Madelyn a glass of water. “How’s she? Have you told her?”
Madelyn absentmindedly held the glass of water. “No, I just told her that I wouldn’t marry Zach. She then fainted shortly after that. Can her face still be healed?”
“As long as we take it slow, restoring it to about seventy to eighty percent of her original appearance shouldn’t be a problem,” Kai answered. “About the arson, both Zach and I suspect it’s related to Yvonne. She almost killed you; you shouldn’t be concerned for her.
“Zach might be back soon. If you keep staying here, he’ll be unhappy with me when he gets back. I’ll take you back to rest.”
Madelyn rejected him.
When she returned to her ward, the first thing she did was go to the location on her phone.
She gradually felt more tense. ‘This is the location. It’s actually here…’
Yvonne had told Madelyn everything that happened before the plane crash, confirming that Ethan was indeed alive, and all this time he had been staying somewhere that only Yvonne, and now Madelyn, knew about.
Chapter 1126
Upon hearing footsteps outside the door, Madelyn panicked and hastily put away her phone. However, she failed to hold the phone firmly, and it fell to the ground.
Outside the door, Zach had just finished talking to Kevin about some matters. As he entered the ward, he noticed the phone on the floor. He saw a route displayed on a map application on the phone screen. When Madelyn saw him, she pretended to be calm as she picked up the phone from the ground.
“What are you looking at?” Zach’s tone was unfriendly. He walked over to her and took the phone from her hand. He then unlocked the phone and enlarged the route on the map.
The marked location was nothing more than a village near the mountains. It did not even have a displayed name.
Sensing the chilling aura emanating from Zach, Madelyn knew she could not show any signs of unease. Otherwise, he would feel that she was hiding something from him.
Madelyn calmly turned around to pour a glass of water for herself. She was actually very nervous, and her palms were sweating. She kept her back turned to him, avoiding his gaze.
After taking a sip of water, she said, ” Nothing much. I felt bored always staying home, so I was looking to see if any places were worth visiting.”
When Zach heard her normal tone, his sharp gaze gradually turned gentle. He then placed the phone beside her.
He thought, ‘I was too sensitive. The wedding is approaching, and she is getting better. Also, I can see through whatever she’s hiding.
‘She should forget her inappropriate ideas.’
Zach took off his suit jacket, revealing a gray suit vest underneath. A sleeve strap was tied at the cuff of his shirt. He sat in a chair nearby and stretched his arm to pull Madelyn toward him.
She sat on his lap. Zach tilted his head and played with her long, black hair. Her hair was shorter than it used to be, but Zach was okay with this length.
Nevertheless, he preferred Madelyn with long hair. “If you want to travel, we can go to Roshya for our honeymoon after the wedding. You’ve always wanted to go there, right?”
Madelyn wanted to say that she had visited that place a long time ago and had already seen the Northern Lights she longed to see. Watching the brilliant colors illuminate the sky and ground in the snowy landscape was incredibly beautiful-it was truly unique and unmatched.
However, Madelyn never had the right to say no to him, “Sure.”
At night, dressed in her own pajamas, Madelyn lay beside Zach. She was being held in his arms and could feel his breath near her ear. It seemed like he had already fallen asleep. However, she could not sleep. She grabbed her phone and checked the time and date, realizing there were only three days left until February 14. It was Valentine’s Day and a very special day for Madelyn.
Because February 14 was her death anniversary in her past life.
She thought, ‘Why does it have to be that day?’
“You can’t sleep?” Zach suddenly asked. His voice startled Madelyn. She responded, “I’m not very sleepy. I need to use the bathroom now.”
Chapter 1127
Zach thought, ‘She’s lying.’
Suddenly, he turned over to shower her lips and neck with countless kisses, ” Since you can’t sleep, let’s do something more meaningful.”
“No, Zach. I really need to use the bathroom. Besides, I still haven’t recovered. We can’t be intimate.” Even though Madelyn said so, Zach did not let go of her. He insisted on going his way and had unbuttoned her pajamas unknowingly. The cold wind from outside seeped into the blanket. After struggling in vain, Madelyn gave up and allowed him to do as he pleased. The lack of lubrication made it rough, and she had to endure the pain.
When it finally ended, it was already an hour later. Zach carried Madelyn, who was naked, to the bathroom. Seeing fresh blood, Zach immediately furrowed his brows, “Why didn’t you say it hurt?”
Madelyn sat on the icy bathroom sink and stopped his attempts to go any further with his hands, “Enough, stop looking. I want to take a shower. I feel uncomfortable all over.”
Zach squeezed some body wash onto his rough palms and applied it to Madelyn’s smooth skin. She collapsed weakly onto him. After a quick clean- up, he blow-dried her hair. When he laid her on the bed, Kevin brought the medicine over just in time.
Zach lifted the blanket and used his fingers to check the location of the wound. Madelyn winced in pain, ”
Alright, stop it. I’m already in a lot of pain.”
There was some swelling in her private area. Zach had been holding back for a long time as Madelyn had not allowed him to touch her for a while. However, he could not resist tonight and never expected that he would end up accidentally hurting her.
“Thankfully, it’s just a minor tear, not too deep. I’ll be more careful next time, “Zach reassured her with a kiss. In her vulnerable state, teary-eyed Madelyn unintentionally sparked a primal desire within him.
Zach leaned close to her ear, his voice carrying a deep and husky tone as he gently spoke, “It’s been so long since I’ve touched you. Do you know how hard it’s been for me? Be good. I’ll apply some medicine to you. Take the next few days to recharge and build up your energy. I’ll make sure you can’t escape on our wedding night.”
Madelyn felt a cool sensation in her sensitive area and instinctively clenched her legs together. She was indeed not feeling well, but what bothered her even more was Zach.
Zach felt like he was about to burst.
After he finished applying the medicine, Madelyn heard his sensual, heavy breathing from the bathroom. Her face blushed, and she covered her ears with the blanket, afraid of hearing something inappropriate again.
By the time Madelyn woke up, it was already noon. Zach had just completed the discharge procedures. Since returning from the hospital, Madelyn rarely met Zach. Either he left early and came home late, being mysterious about what he was up to. On the flip side, this gave Madelyn more time to focus on her things.
Over the phone, Kai said, “Everything’s ready. The substance in the blue bottle is colorless and odorless. A dab of it can knock someone out for twelve hours. I’ve also arranged personnel over at Eternal Seasons. After the wedding, my people will escort you if you decide to leave. I’ve got fake passports and documents for you. I also bought you a property in Italy. You can focus on doing your own thing after reaching there. In the future, no matter what happens, don’t come back to Ventropolis.”
Madelyn looked at the identification in the bag. It was just a regular foreign name. She said, “Alright. I’m counting on you for this one.”
Kai said, “We don’t have to get into all that.”
‘In the end, I’m the one who wronged her. No matter what, I’ll choose to help her without hesitation. As long as she could live happily, that would be enough.’
Chapter 1128
Madelyn soon slept after hanging up the phone and cleaning the photos on the wall. Zach, always out and about from dawn till dusk, did not return until well past midnight.
The car engine roared, and a blinding set of high beams flashed by. Downstairs, exhaustion filled Zach’s eyes. He exited the car with his forehead rubbed and strolled to the third-floor master bedroom. The door latch clicked open.
Madelyn was sound asleep until she felt the bed sagging. That slight disturbance woke her up a bit.
Zach ditched his jacket and lay on the freshly changed sheets. He scooped Madelyn up, along with the blanket, into his arms. Smelling the flowery shower gel on her, it was like Zach had brushed away his mixed feelings.
With a sleepy look, Madelyn opened her eyes halfway. She spoke softly, “What’s that smell on you? Go take a shower.”
“Okay, I’ll go in a while.”
Madelyn was too tired. Before long, she dozed off again. Zach adjusted the shoulder straps of her nightgown, which had slipped off. He did not stay in bed for long before getting up and heading to the bathroom for a shower. After he had showered and blow-dried his hair, they did nothing. He just held her close, and they slept the night away.
The night passed across the sky, and the dawn light slowly rose from the horizon. Outside, there was still a hint of frost in the air; inside, the heated floor kept the temperature just right.
As Madelyn went downstairs in her slippers, the maid had already prepared breakfast. It was a bowl of pasta. Madelyn was alone at home these days. Everything had started to simplify.
Besides the busy servants, Madelyn always saw Zach sitting on the sofa every time she came downstairs. However, she had not seen him at all for several days now.
Zach rarely had time to sleep in late. Despite the rapid development of technology and electronic news, he still clung to the tradition of reading the newspaper delivered every morning after waking up.
Madelyn glanced at the coffee table before the sofa and casually asked, ” Did the newspaper delivery person not show up today?”
One of the maids said, “Mrs. Jardin, we haven’t seen Mr. Jardin for quite some time either. Since three or four days ago, he has already read the delivered newspapers before leaving.”
Deep in thought, Madelyn walked down the stairs. Tucking strands of loose hair behind her ear, she tasted the pasta and felt it was similar to the one Zach had personally made. She said, “This pasta…”
The maid said, “Mrs. Jardin, it seems someone prepared this pasta about half an hour ago. The soup is still warm, and the pasta is placed beside it, uncooked. We thought Mr. Jardin must have prepared this for you. So, we decided to serve it to you.”
Madelyn took small bites of the pasta, but emotions flooded her thoughts, ‘He even remembers to cook these for me before leaving. Zach, how genuine is your heart?’
After finishing half a bowl, Madelyn headed upstairs. Margaret had just come back from a walk outside with Dalton. In the art studio, Madelyn was distracted while Dalton sat in her arms, behaving obediently without moving.
Madelyn picked up the paintbrush and unconsciously tore apart numerous sheets of paper. Margaret remarked as if seeing through something, “Ms. Jent, are you missing Mr. Jardin?”
Chapter 1129
Madelyn retorted, “No, you’re overthinking. I just don’t know what to draw.”
Margaret said, “Oh! Ms. Jent, I’ve been working for you for a long time. I can read you like a book. You’re worried that Mr. Jardin is out there painting the town red, aren’t you?”
Snap!
Madelyn suddenly exerted force in her hand, breaking the paintbrush in half, ” Enough! Stop saying anything.”
Margaret was caught off guard when Madelyn, usually easygoing, suddenly blew up. However, she had seen through it ages ago as someone so experienced. No matter what happened in the past, any lingering resentment in Madelyn’s heart would gradually dissolve with time. Though Margaret did not know what exactly happened to Madelyn, judging from her habits and subtle actions, she had long accepted Zach deep down.
Though Dalton was not Zach and Madelyn’s blood, anyone with a keen eye could see that Zach regarded him as his own, even though he gave Dalton the cold shoulder. On the other hand, despite Madelyn seeming kind to Dalton, she never genuinely accepted him deep down. Margaret had no choice but to carry Dalton out of the art studio.
Buzz!
The phone on the side vibrated. Madelyn picked up her phone and saw a message from Kai detailing the safety exits at Eternal Seasons and the escape routes she should take.
Kai messaged: [Zach is clever. He will hold the wedding banquets in dual locations to prevent your escape; you wouldn’t be able to expect where he would eventually choose to take place. He’s got personnel on both sides. You’ve got two chances to leave, but those two might be challenging. We might need to make our move at a different time.]
Madelyn looked at the long message, and her heart started racing. She replied: [Okay.]
Madelyn gripped her phone, and her heart pounded wildly, ‘If this attempt to leave fails, Zach will make good on his threat to break my legs.’
Dalton was outside, gripping the doorknob, not wanting to leave. Margaret saw he was about to cry again, so she immediately covered his mouth. She said, “Ms. Jent is in a bad mood now. It’s best not to bother her. If you bug her now, Mr. Jardin will probably give your behind a good spanking when he returns.”
“Ah!” Dalton exclaimed, quickly letting go as if he were scared. It was strange. Dalton was just a one-year-old, but it seemed like he understood those words.
Madelyn cleared her mind of distracting thoughts. After dinner, she rested as usual at half past ten. Sitting at the vanity, Madelyn absentmindedly applied her skincare products. Lately, she felt something was missing but could not figure it out.
Looking at the nightstand in the mirror, she noticed a black velvet box. It jogged her memory that the ring Zach gave her was missing. He shelled out a lot of cash to get the ring back from the auction. Madelyn remembered wearing the ring in the hospital, ‘How on earth could it be missing when nothing happened?’
Madelyn stood up and quickly searched high and low in and around the place. After over an hour, the whole room was a complete mess from the thorough search.
Zach returned in the wee hours of the night, a couple of hours earlier than last night. He saw the villa that should have been dark by now brightly lit from top to bottom. Several maids crouched in the living room, searching for something, while Madelyn sprawled on the floor in front of the sofa.
Chapter 1130
While everyone was busy finding the lost ring, nobody noticed Zach walking in from the outside.
“Watch out. You’ll get a cold if you lie on the ground,” Zach said in a smooth voice. Then, with one hand, he scooped Madelyn up from the floor and plopped on the sofa.
Madelyn sat on his lap and asked, “Why didn’t I hear your footsteps when you walked?”
Zach frowned when he saw her barefoot and covered her chilly feet with his hands, “What are you looking for?”
Zach saw her hesitating, so he waved his hand and had all the servants leave. Madelyn lowered her gaze and said, ” Sorry, I lost the ring you gave me.”
“Just for that small matter? It’s okay if it’s lost.”
That ring was worth over three billion. What could Madelyn use to compensate? She could not even bring herself to say the word ‘compensate.’ Most of what she had was courtesy of Zach. Even if she earned a few hundred thousand dollars, in Zach’s eyes, she could not even afford one of his suit buttons. Madelyn was silent, unsure of how to broach the subject with him, ” I’m sorry, I-I just can’t compensate you.”
Zach’s gaze instantly turned cold and piercing. “You know I don’t want to hear these things from you. Madelyn, we’re a married couple now. What you need to tell me isn’t apologies or sorry. It’s I love you!”
Madelyn’s heart skipped a beat. She suddenly stood up, choosing to ignore his words. She said, “I might have set the ring down somewhere and had forgotten where. I’ll try to look around.
Maybe I’ll find it one of these days.”
Madelyn turned away and avoided eye contact with him. Just as she was about to leave, his rough hand grabbed her wrist. Zach looked at her and said, “It’s okay. After marriage, we’ll take things slow. Madelyn, we still have plenty of time ahead.”
Madelyn forcefully pulled away from his grip, not bothering to pretend in front of him. She escaped to her room, trying her best to forget the intense and patient gaze Zach had when looking at her like a hunter patiently waiting for its prey. Even though he was already preparing for their wedding, she saw that as nothing more than a sweet and dangerous trap.
After finishing her usual tasks at Eternal Seasons, Blake went to the hospital to look after Cecilia. Her leg showed signs of a comminuted fracture, so she could not get out of bed for over half a month. Cecilia’s facial injuries had improved, and the bruising around her mouth had lightened. She was casually sipping on carrot ginger soup, “Blake, I remember Mr. Jardin’s wedding is coming up, right?”
When Blake heard Cecilia asking about the wedding, alarm bells went off in her head. She replied cautiously, “Yes, it’s tomorrow.”
Cecilia smiled as she looked at the carrot ginger soup in her bowl and said, “However, I heard Mr. Jardin is also hosting a wedding at the Supreme World. What’s the deal with having it in two places? Let me quiz you. Why do you think Mr. Jardin is doing this?”
Blake looked puzzled, ‘What? Is Mr. Jardin also hosting a wedding at the Supreme World? I’ve been at the company all this time, so why didn’t I know about it? How did Cecilia find out? And where did she get this information?’
Blake replied, “Ms. Samford, I’m sorry. I don’t know much about this matter. Perhaps Mr. Jardin has reasons for that or wants the wedding to be livelier.”
Suddenly, Cecilia burst into laughter, shaking her shoulders, “You’re so naive! You didn’t pick up anything from Kevin when you worked under him. I’m not even at the company, but I know all this better than you. Blake, besides skills and methods, using your brain is crucial in doing things.”
Blake lowered her head, “I got it, Ms. Samford.”