Chatper 48


    Chapter 48


    Natalie nced up, catching sight of a dove–gray chiffon scarf strewn across the floor by the desk. The


    softughter of another woman floated through the air.


    Pausing for a few seconds, her hand withdrew silently from the doorknob.


    Madelyn, barefoot andnguidly lounging on the couch, watched the shadow behind the door quietly


    slip away, putting on a sly smile.


    “You’ve been working hard these days. Go home and get some rest. I’ll have Gavin sign off on your


    leave,” Brian stood by the floor–to–ceiling window, watching the reporters trickle out from below,


    murmuring softly.


    “Sounds good.” Madelyn shifted her gaze away then back to Brian.


    He seemed eager to see her off, probably worried that Natalie might drop by and get the wrong idea.


    But Natalie had left.


    “Brian, take care of yourself too. With all thepanies under WL’s name, your hands–on approach is


    him.


    While speaking, she reached out to smooth a crease on his shirt.


    But in the next moment, he caught her wrist..


    Brian turned and furrowed his brows slightly, his eyes filled with an indiscernible intensity.


    “That hurts…” she met his gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.


    Without waiting for her to pull away, Brian asked in a low voice, “The buzz about Gracia on social


    media was your doing, wasn’t it?”


    Madelyn was taken aback, replying in confusion, “What are you talking about? I’ve been in the studio


    the whole time Gracia was trending, preparing for my new song release. You know that.”


    Brian flickered his look slightly. “It better be. You know what Gracia means, to the Howard family. If


    she’s in trouble and it blows up, you won’t be


    e to handle the fallout. Don’t let it happen again.”


    “I told you I didn’t do it.” Madelyn’s voice rose in urgency, “Or is that what you think of me?”


    Releasing her hand, Brian turned to sit at his desk, not looking up as he replied, “I can only hope that


    you’ll always be beyond reproach.”


    Madelyn caught the underlying message and opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out.


    This was the first time Brian had ever doubted her, and she was at a loss for words.


    She watched his cold profile for a while, finally speaking in a subdued tone, “I’ll leave now, and you


    should get some rest too.”


    “Hmm,” Brian responded indifferently.


    Madelyn picked up the scarf from the floor, slipped on her shoes, and silently left his office. As the door


    closed behind her, a sharp glint crossed her eyes.


    Madelyn had indeed escted the situation with Gracia’s viral moment, but even she was surprised to


    see it still topping the trends the following morning. Perhaps there was a glitch on. the server.Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Yet she knew it all started because of Natalie. Gracia was merely a shield for Brian.


    Natalie sat dazed in her car until her phone’s ring snapped her back to reality.


    It was the kindergarten teacher. No one hade to pick up Nate.


    Rushing to the kindergarten around six o’clock, she waster than usual.


    School had ended just before four, and she had meant to ask Brian earlier if he was going to pick up


    Nate and take him back to the Howard household. After all, the child wasn’t her responsibility. It didn’t


    seem right for Nate to keep staying at her ce.


    But then, the unexpected had happened.


    Inside the ssroom, Nate was the only child left, dozing off pitifully at his tiny desk.