《A kiss》


 CHAPTER 1

    CHAPTER 1 WEDDING BELLS


    ¨C


    VENUS


    Weddings were supposed to be a joyful time, a time to rejoice, to wear elegant clothes and of


    course, to try dancing without crushing anyone¡¯s toes.


    However, as I hid behind thest pew in the great Memorial Hall of Alphas, watching the lovely pair standing before the officiator, joy was thest emotion I was feeling. It was ironic though because the beautiful bride mopping away tears as her mate started reciting his own vows. She is my two year elder sister, Ansley Vinley. She and I had been close once before she became a part in the scheme to cheat me


    of my happiness.


    My hands shookmely as I drew the corners of my favourite shawl closer around my head and examined the hall. Seats were filled to the brim by numerous guests from various packs, far and near. Decorations of lc and cream hung from pir to pir.


    I was not supposed to be there. Father had warned me with strict orders to stay away from the ceremony. ording to him, I was bad luck, a stain on his reputation and his greatest regret.


    The officiator was the oldest wolf in wride Pack. He smiled at the couple before him, joining his hands in a solemn sp. ¡°You may now kiss your mate,¡± he proudly announced, his voice a bit thick


    with emotions.


    He innocently called them mates, a lie spread to cover up the injustice against me. I bit down on my lower lip to stop myself from screaming. I choked on a whimper, forbidding myself to cry over a lost cause. I had been happy once, when I was to be mated to Wren. He had been only two years older than


    me but was to be our future Alpha.


    I had not known then but it turned out that he had known about us being mates two years ago and had kept it from me. But I was too happy when I turned 18 to find out we were mates, happy enough to forgive his deliberate silence on the matter until my world came crashing to my feet.


    Every wolf naturally shifted for the first time at age thirteen and mine was no different except for one thing. My wolf was a ferocious looking animal with inky ck fur and sharp talons that I had no


    control over. In the midst of grey wolves, brown ones, even ash furred wolves, my wolf stood out, huge and awkward. It had taken tranquilizers and the pack¡¯s strongest men to keep me down. I thought the shame of that day was forgotten until it came up again to ruin my life.


    Father hade home some dayster with a message from Alpha Keller. Wren had refused to have


    anything to do with me but would take another daughter from our family.


    ¡°At least, he did not turn his back on our entire family,¡± Father had reasoned selfishly, frowning at my uncontroble tears. ¡°He has chosen your sister, Ansley, as the new Luna for Wren instead. You must do your duty for our family¡¯s sake. You must forget about Wren.¡±


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    CHAPTER 1-WEDDING BELLS


    And I did what he said, stepping aside for my sister to take what was mine. Father was a general in the Alpha¡¯s army and in my family, his word wasw. Mother never tried to challenge him and preferred to keep to herself. Despite the fact that the he always favoured Ansley over me, he and I had the same


    forest-


    -green eyes, mysterious and cool.


    Ansley beamed brightly and went on tiptoe, too eager to wait for her groom. He lowered his lips to meet her halfway and I slipped off my seat, falling onto the cold tiled floor.


    There and then, my heart broke all over again, pain tugging at my chest as I pounded my fists silently on the ground. I opened my mouth to scream but no sound came out, just a pitiful croak. My sister was kissing Wren Maddock, my mate, well, ex-mate, the one precious gift I was forced to give up. All I could think of as they finally came apart was: it was supposed to be me.


    Blood rose to the surface of the bruised flesh and I blew on it, wincing when it stung like a b**h. Normally for a werewolf, open wounds sealed up in less than a minute but two had passed and I could still feel the pinching pain. Not only had I been forced to give up my mate by my imposing father but as a result of my agreement, my inner wolf, Bly had been muted and with it went my supernatural abilities. The day I felt her silence, it was like my soul had walked out the door.


    Our wolves were an important part of us and without them, we were mere shadows of ourselves. She was still there inside me but could have no real connection with me. Bly might be wild but she was


    mine, all I had and I needed her to be whole. The only way I could get her back was a rare but ridiculous


    solution: a second chance mate. Like I was ever getting another one after my beastly wolf had


    sessfully driven away the first one.


    Still feeling wronged and in despair, I knocked over a pot of white lilies on my way out


    unintentionally and stooped low to put them arrange them back in the ceramic pot. Just then, I heard the swish of curtains closing and I turned around towards the line of suites for special guests. Alpha Keller had used his influence to invite as many important people as possible and renovated some old buildings into temporary suites. They had previously been s** quarters some centuries back but I


    heard it now boasted of modern facilities and equipments.


    Clearly, whomever was behind the curtains had been spying on me without my knowing it. Weird. I arose, moving with purpose to a nearby bin. Uncovering the bin, an impatient bark snarled at me followed by a leap out of the ufortable container.


    ¡°Drew!¡± I yelped, amused yet taken by surprise. The displeased ball of fur let out another bark of relief to see me and proceeded to lick the sweat off my face. Strange that the only one ever excited to see me was a terrier. Drew was also the only creature I loved unconditionally, second only to Alpha Wren. Sometimes, when the pain got too much, when my father¡¯s harsh words kept me awake at night, I would sneak out my small whittling knife and thought of just ending it all.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    My death would do my father, for one, a lot of good. Goddess knows, he sought ways each day to finally get rid of me. His current n was to push me onto one of the older wolves, anyone too sex crazed to notice that I was nothing special. Ansley would no longer have to pretend she was guilty for


    21


    CHAPTER 1 ¨C WEDDING BELLS


    stealing my mate and soon, they would all forget about me. My mother was a neutral individual and was neither for nor against my happiness.


    Drew nuzzled his head under my chin, sharing in my pain. He had been a gift from my Grandma Gina. Drew had been one of the pups birthed by her bitch, Esme. She was long gone but I missed her terribly, the only one ever in my corner. Whenever I closed my eyes, the memory of Ansley looking beautiful in white and Wren utterly handsome in his dove grey tuxedo reminded me why I couldn¡¯t kill myself and let them be happy. Besides, Grandma had made me promise to always take good care of Drew.


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t think of suicide anymore,¡± I said to Drew, convinced that he could understand me. I scooped him under my arm and gave the hall onest look.


    I couldn¡¯t die while there was still a chance. All I had to do was find my second chance mate and get my wolf back. How hard could it be?

 CHAPTER 2

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 2 ¨C RED STREAKS


    RHYS


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came all this way to attend this wedding and you n to spend your time here,¡±


    Mars, my annoying yet loyal Beta nagged me as soon as we got out of the sun. ¡®Here¡¯ was a modern private suite put together just for me by the Alpha of wride Pack. It was not as furnished as any suite back in my pack but stillfortable. Smooth crafted wooden chairs were arranged next to an antique drawer and a wide bed took up most of the space in the room.


    My pack, Plum Paradise, was the biggest and the richest in the country. That in turn made me the supreme head, the Alpha King and the other packs paid their respects to me. Constantly, packs sought out help in fighting wars and protecting their territories. It was a huge responsibility which rested solely on my shoulders, nothing I couldn¡¯t handle, of course.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I came all this way to attend this wedding. Period.¡± I retorted, examining the room I would be staying in for at least a day. How Mars and Matilda, my old caregiver had managed to convince me to even leave my room for this wedding was still a miracle to me.


    ¡°Alpha, this is for your own good. wride Pack is known for their beautiful and fertile women. We might be lucky to find a solution to your¡­ condition here. Don¡¯t give up hope yet. I haven¡¯t and neither


    has Matilda.¡±


    I paced the room, looking for what to do with my hands and tried not to lose my temper. It was an embarrassing truth but the fact was that I had never gotten hard before, as in, never ever. My pack was filled with beautiful females of various sizes but none of them had ever gotten me sexually excited enough to have an erection. It was distressing, the one w in me that was too big for me to overlook.


    Tilly, as I fondly called my old caregiver, partnered with Mars had searched for numerous concoctions, potions, anything to help but it was hopeless. I could not be fixed and no matter how hard I tried to act like it didn¡¯t matter, it ate me up from the inside, making me doubt myself. How could I possibly be a man if I could not perform the basic intimate task required from all men?N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°I really think you shoulde. You should get to know the people who pay homage to you.¡± The fight was out of his voice, his tiredness now obvious from his slumped shoulders.


    I kicked my shoes off my feet and attacked my bowtie. ¡°You and I know that Keller did not invite me to his son¡¯s wedding because he and I are best friends. He is merely trying to win my favour or to prove to his guests that he has connections in high ces. Don¡¯t be fooled by this cheap


    establishment.¡±


    Mars opened his mouth to protest but I held up a finger to shut him up. Mars was my Beta and also the closest thing I had to a friend. However, he knew his ce and never disrespected me, despite all the weird things I made him do for me. Since I could not satisfy them, Mars slept with my mistresses on


    1/3


    CHAPTER 2 ¨C RED STREAKS


    my behalf, keeping them blindfolded and Ignorant. That way, my secret remained safe from the world.


    My feel took me to a tall, vertical mirror standing beside a window, I was wearing an old navy blue suit with white pearl man who had died from heartbreak. It was sad that something as small as that had defeated a warrior


    like him.


    ttons that Tilly said hand To my father, the former Alpha King, a great


    I was only twelve then when I returned from a fishing trip with friends only to find my mother in the arms of another man. My mother, Serena was without doubt a very attractive woman and many sald she was a replica of the Moon Goddess. She was also adventurous and confident and added to the fact that they were mates, Father had fallen helplessly in love with her. Nevertheless, his love for her had be a weakness and eventually, his downfall.


    The day I saw her moaning in pleasure, pleasure derived from a man that wasn¡¯t my father was the day my hatred for women was born. Women were maniptive creatures, weaving their charms around you until you became their s**e. They made you feel special and then stabbed you in the back. My fists formed balls of fury as I remembered how my father had died alone and it was a reminder to me to never let any woman get to me. I had carved out my heart and buried it with my father, determined to never die the way he had: broken and less than a man.


    ¡°Okay. If you won¡¯te to the wedding hall with me, at least, promise me you would take your


    concoction.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know when to give up, Mars? Nothing ever works! Not now, not a change of environment, not even your silly potions can help me. I have kept countless mistresses, sexy women have offered me their bodies yet nothing! I only agreed toe here so I could have some rest. Go have


    fun and leave me alone!¡±


    I watched him through the mirror, his lips in a thin line. Atst, he removed our overnight bags from the chairs and took them to a closet. He arranged my nightwear on the bed, kicked my shoes under the bed, working in silence. Immediately he mmed the door behind him, I sighed from the depths of my troubled soul, my huge shoulders slumped in defeat. My head ached from where my long hair was bound by a string. I tugged at it roughly and my hair fell onto my shoulders, heavy and as dark as


    midnight.


    My reflection stared back at me as I undid the first two buttons on my shirt. Old scars and heavy tattoos decorated my chest, each one having its own significance. No one had seen my face, no one knew what I looked like except Tilly and Mars and I hoped for it to remain that way. My pack members made up for theirck of knowledge about their Alpha by spreading rumours about me. I heard most of the rumours from Mars, not that I really cared about the gossips.


    Some said my eyes were cold enough to freeze hell over. 1 agreed that my eyes were a bit odd. Not. many people had amethyst eyes, that I knew of. They said the reason I hid within the walls of my pce was probably because I had an awful scar or I was a flesh eating monster. The rumours were endless and


    some were wilder than the other.


    2/3


    CHAPTER 2-RED STREAKS


    I wasn¡¯t bothered by the rumours, anyways. I was more concerned about fixing myself. If there was no solution, I would never feel the warm body of a woman underneath me. I would never taste the pleasure, the sheer pleasure of having a woman at my mercy. I would never beplete. It was a fear that consumed me and the thought of it made me crazy. Emotions had no meaning to me and I could not imagine myself obsessing over a woman but it was like there was something out there that I was missing out on.


    Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside the window. Taking two steps to the left, I saw a young woman bent over a pot of flowers. She was dressed in simple clothes, and her blonde hair had red streaks in it. Her lower lip was caught in between her teeth as she put the flowers back in ce, focused on her task. Once she was done, she ran her tongue over her lips and I imagined myself biting down on that full lower lip. She stopped for a second and raised her head and as if nned, our eyes met. A heated sensation ran down my back and I gasped softly in shock.


    Forest green eyes shed with mine and acting on impulse, I pulled the curtains close. My hands were shaking for no reason and I felt excitement in my belly. Who was she and why did she have such an effect on me? I gripped the window bars so hard that they squeaked. ming the stress from the long journey, I finished undressing myself and slipped into the bathroom to steam off. As water spilled onto my face, I closed my eyes and my mind brought up her image again. Her lips, her eyes, her hair like fire burning a wheat farm, all in my head. Goddess, who was that woman?


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 CHAPTER 3

    CHAPTER 3 ¨C THE KISS


    VENUS


    The wedding banquet had begun and I could hear the pleasant music from where I sat on the pavement. My shawl was back on my head, protecting my identity, Ansley was there, living the life initially meant for me, being the Luna instead of me. I had to go home before Father found me around the premises. Wedding or no wedding, he would not dy in punishing me. In the past, he had proved


    on countless asions how little he cared for me.


    After my first shift at thirteen, Father had locked me up in my room, forbidding my siblings from going to see me. He did not fail to tell me how much I had embarrassed him, cursing the day I was born


    and I was ordered by the Alpha never ever to shift again.


    Locked indoors without any hope of getting out, my love for books grew and I read anything I couldy my hands on. I wrote a poem for my Father¡¯s fiftieth birthday but he burnt it over the fire, shunning me into my shell. My confidence suffered and I spoke only when spoken to.


    Mercifully, a week before my eighteenth birthday, Father agreed to end my imprisonment mostly because our pack was organizing a social event for werewolves to mingle. It was that night Wren and I


    found each other. That fateful night, I was hiding from other wolves, too shy to make any friends. I had nothing to say to anyone because so many found me scary and stayed away from me.


    He had looked so handsome, his bleached blonde hair still in order despite the heavy wind. We stood watching each other in silence for over a minute and a heavy lump sat in my throat. He was a head taller than me and he carried himself with an air of royalty. The look in his eyes heated my blood and my wolf got excited, pushing my feet forward. My skin itched as if ants were crawling over it and it took all my will-power not jump on him.


    Unfortunately, Wren turned around and left me standing there. I felt like a fool and ran home crying. The next day, Father came with shocking news. I was Wren¡¯s mate and we were to be mated on my eighteenth birthday. Also, he warned that I was to keep my scary wolf a secret until after the mating ceremony. However, the day never came. Only the mention of my name was enough to remind Alpha


    Keller of how monstrous my wolf was.


    I had gone to Wren to plead with him but he had not given me audience. I can never forget the disgust I saw on Wren¡¯s face right before he said the words that destroyed my life.


    ¡°You are a monster! I cannot have you as a mate. 1, Wren Maddock reject you, Venus Vinley as my


    mate and Luna. Leave my presence!¡±


    The memory of my fall from glory was still fresh in my mind as I watched some couples arrivete. to the banquet. Would I ever find a second chance mate? Would I ever be happy again? I wondered, feeling so alone and abandoned. I needed Bly back soon or I would lose a part of my identity, be lonely forovor and finalle die alone


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    CHAPTER 3 THE KISS


    The Memorial Hall of Alphas was like a garden with only one entrance which also served as the


    exit, so I saw everyone who went in and out. Hurrying Drew along, I headed for home, hoping to distract myself with a book or a movie, anything to keep me from thinking of my loss. I could almost see the gates when I ran into someoneing from a corner.


    The impact threw me off bnce and I was falling to the ground when a hand caught me around the waist. I raised my eyes to my saviour and it was a face I had not seen before. He was probably an invited guest and the embroidered dark suit he wore seemed expensive. His curly auburn hair


    surrounded his head like a crown on fire.


    ¡°Are you always this clumsy?¡± he scolded.


    ¡°No,¡± I replied in a tiny voice. He stared at me in silence for a while before speaking again.


    ¡°Anyways, I was looking for a maid. Thank goodness I ran into you.


    ¡°I am not a-¡± I swallowed the end of my sentence and looked down at my clothes. My dress was long, boring and dirty at the hems. I did look like a maid but for the sake of keeping my identity hidden, I decided to y along.


    ¡°Why do you need a maid?¡± I asked instead, avoiding his intelligent eyes.


    ¡°Come with me,¡± was all he said and I followed him obediently to the corner he hade from. A


    ss of red wine sat on a small stool and he picked it up, peeping at the contents. Turning to me, he pressed it into my hands and stepped back smoothly.


    ¡°My¡­um..friend is ill and could not attend the banquet and I promised to send him some wine. He is in room number one. Don¡¯t bother knocking, he can¡¯te to the door. Just go in and give him the ss. Can you do that?¡±


    I wanted to say No because I didn¡¯t know who I was speaking to and his instructions were a bit suspicious. However, a maid did whatever she was told, right?


    ¡°I can,¡± I answered with more courage than I felt. He finally smiled and after patting my head, returned to the hall. I left immediately, trying not to spill the wine. I walked quickly, anxious to leave before Father discovered me. Soon, I was standing in front of the door numbered ¡®one¡¯.


    Remembering not to knock, I pushed the door open and went in, hoping to be done with the task quickly. But no one was in the neat, untouched bed. Was it a prank? Was the stranger nning to molest me? My heart leaped in my chest as I thought of how foolish I had been.


    I dropped the ss on top of the chest of drawers and turned around to leave when a rough voice held me spellbound.


    ¡°Who the hell are you and what are you doing in here?¡±


    CHAPTER 3-THE KISS


    RHYS


    Goddess, it was her, the young woman I had seen outside the window. Up close, she was nothing special except for that odd hair of hers and her curious pair of green eyes. My attention shifted to the ss of wine she had dropped on my chest of drawers.


    ¡°Are you deaf? Who are you and who let you in here?¡±


    She shook visibly, biting down hard on her lower lip. Her big cat green eyes filled with tears but I was unmoved by them. Her head only got to the bottom of my breastbone and she avoided my eyes, gluing her stare to my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m¡­.¡± she stammered, pushing strands of strawberry hair away from her face.


    ¡°Is that wine in that ss?¡±


    She nodded with enthusiasm, taking the ss with shaking hands. Some drops spilled over the rim, staining her dress.


    ¡°Yes¡­your friend¡­thought¡­you would want one because you are..ill and cannote to the wedding banquet.¡±


    III? Friend? What was Mars up to? I eyed the ss and took it from her before she emptied the contents on herself. She bowed a little, prepared to leave but I held her upper arm, keeping her in ce. She gulped down hard, her hands sped together as if in supplication.


    ¡°Please, I¡­I don¡¯t want any trouble,¡± she begged, choking on a sob.


    ¡°You should have thought of that beforeing into a room without knocking. You will have a sip because I don¡¯t trust your story. That way, if I die, you die. Hands behind you.¡±


    She obeyed without dy, holding her hands behind her. I held the ss to her lips and tilting it, she drank slowly, staring deep into my eyes.


    A shiver raced up my spine and I was upied with our eyelock that I was unaware of when she held my hand by the wrist. Her thumb rested on my pulse and I ripped the ss from her lips, shocked by the heat our contact created. They were wet and red, daring me to taste the sweet wine from them. I finished the rest of the wine, not fasting it at all. She dragged her tongue over her wet lips, cleaning them and suddenly, I felt a push under my towel.


    My loins filled rapidly and I felt very u as she processed what was happening to me,


    nfortable down there all of a sudden. Her eyes widened knowing look on her face. Was it what I thought it was?


    It wasn¡¯t pain, it wasn¡¯t pleasure, it was¡­Goddess¡­it was an erection! She stepped forward, closing theBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


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    CHAPTER 3 ¨C THE KISS


    ¡°Are you getting sick again? How can I help?¡± She was genuinely concerned and my sight blurred from the unfamiliar emotion. Her palms ran up my chest and I almost howled from the desire that followed.


    Her lips were so close and I could not resist the simple pleasure. Wrapping an arm around her slim waist, I cupped her jaw and swallowed her gasp of surprise. I ran my tongue over her chewed lower lip, urging her to let me in. She sighed softly and opened her mouth, allowing me to deepen the kiss, the taste of the wine lovely on her tongue.


    I thickened the more and my towel was slipping off me but I held on to the sensation, her fingers pulling on my hair. Moving to a wall to trap her within my arms, the towel fell off finally and she stilled, ending the kiss. Before I could react in time, she pulled her shawl over her head and ran out of my suite, leaving me stark naked and hard for the first time in my life.

 CHAPTER 4

    CHAPTER 4 FOR THE FIRST TIME


    VENUS


    1 ram as fast as I could, Drew trying to catch up with me. It was at times like that that I missed Bly the most. If she wasn¡¯t muted, I could shift and run into the forest until I felt better. Refusing to slow down, I kept going until I saw my house. Nobody was home, the silence too loud for me to bear. I went into my mother¡¯s garden and sat among the tulips, struggling to catch my breath.


    1 had kissed a man. It could not be real, I told myself but my lips still tasted of him so it had to be real. I pressed my fingers against my lips and closed my eyes, the memory of the kiss enough for me. The man on the other hand was something extraordinary. When I had turned to face him that first time, his gorgeous eyes had pierced through my soul. Their colour was strange, a kind of purple that I had never seen before. I had seen golden wolf eyes, green, blue, red but never amethyst.


    He was magnificent, his shoulders like twin marble pirs and his arms had drawn me into his embrace. Looking at his full lips, I would have never guessed that they would be so soft and inviting. The taste of mint on his tongue was probably from the toothpaste he used because he had beening from the bathroom. His midnight dark hair framed his sinfully attractive face and fell roughly without order, wet and s**y. How could the Goddess create such a deadly handsome man?


    I would have given an eye to hear him say my name in that rough, husky voice of his. If he had suggested making love to me, I might have agreed and he was a total stranger. No man had evermanded such reckless thoughts in me. Ansley was the passionate one, the romantic while life started and ended in a romance novel.


    my love


    Who was he and why was he hiding in a suite instead of attending the wedding? His friend¡¯s excuse about him being ill was obviously a lie but why tell a lie to someone whom he thought was a maid? Did he actually know who I was?


    Sweat beads dotted my forehead as I thought of the possibility of him knowing who I was. The coincidence of us running into each other was suddenly suspicious, as if he had been waiting in the corner all along. In my anxiety, I uprooted a baby tulip and tried burying it back when I realized my


    error.


    If the man I kissed went about looking for me, it would not be long before Father heard of it. Then he would know that I had disobeyed his orders and attended the wedding. My throat went dry and the sun shone down on me without mercy. Father had locked me up in my room for five years when my wolf had turned out to be a beast. I could only wonder what he would do to me if he discovered my recent offense.


    At fifteen, to impress him, I told him about my intere to join the pack¡¯s defenders. I had always admired my father¡¯s strength and tried to win his approv tough looking. However, Father warned me never to bring up the topic. He was a general in the old


    was physically strong and my wolf was


    k sed instt fath


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    CHAPTER 4 ¨C FOR THE FIRST TIME


    offer as his daughter.


    There was only one way to escape his anger. I had to run away before the truth was revealed but where?


    RHYS


    My wolf, Czar, was restless, causing me to pace the room, my fingers raking my hair madly. I had only managed to put on my night shirt before he started troubling me. All I could see was red streaks, the hair colour of the seductress who had stumbled into my suite and turned my wolf inside out. He snapped at me, wanting me to shift and go after her.


    ¡°Be quiet,¡± I warned him, leaning against the wall for support. I had retied the towel around my waist when my erection had subsided but I was experiencing some mixed feelings. I was happy to finally know how it felt like to grow hard, the painful pleasure of arousal and I was angry because she had run away before I had the time to experiment further.


    Many potions and special concoctions had not worked but a simple kiss from a maid had my engines fired and ready to go. My wolf whined when I ignored it and resumed its restless roaming.


    Go after her, he begged and I wanted to, Goddess knew. The way she melted in my arms at my touch was so hot and submissive. I wanted that everyday of the year and I would chain her to my


    bedside if I ever found her.


    upied in my dangerous thoughts, I was not aware of Mars¡¯ return until he closed the door


    behind him. I stood in the dark but I could hear his footsteps and also smell him. He stopped by the bed


    and threw his watch on the drawer top.


    ¡®So what did you do while I was gone? I hope you didn¡¯t miss me too much,¡± he teased but I was


    not in the mood for a joke. My head was splitting from my wolf¡¯s stubborn insistence and I needed a


    truckload of aspirin. When I didn¡¯t respond, he turned on the lights and stared back at my bloodshot


    eyes.


    ¡°What happened to you?¡± The jokes were over and he was concerned about my welfare.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to exin this but for the first time in my life, I¡­I had an erection. It was¡­¡± I closed my eyes, finishing my sentence in my mind. It was wonderful. Mars stood still for a second before he punched his fist through the air in celebration.


    ¡°How? Who? When? Tell me everything,¡± he said, jumping around in excitement.


    ¡°I guess I should thank you for sending the girl to my suite. She and I¡­kissed and it just happened.¡± I tried to keep my voice cool despite how much I wanted to howl in victory. Just then, Mars


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    CHAPTER 4 ¨C FOR THE FIRST TIME


    ¡°Mars, spill your guts right now! Don¡¯t give me that look; I am not a fool,¡± I red at his feigned innocence. He put the bed between us, thinking it would save him if I became angry.


    ¡°Well, Alpha¡­¡­.ume it wasn¡¯t the girl who got you aroused. It was¡­er..I kind of added potion to the wine she brought with her. I¡¯m thinking it finally worked.¡±


    your


    ¡°You did what?¡± He had gone too far, from nagging me to drink them to spiking my drink. He apologized immediately but he would not go unpunished. At the moment, I had more pressing issues. I pondered on his words, wondering how true they could be.


    ¡°But they did not work with my mistresses. Why now and with her?¡±


    He shrugged and began undoing the buttons on his sleeve. ¡°Perhaps because of the change of environment.¡±


    It was possible that he was right. If it was proven, then it was back to the


    ¡°I have to test this theory,¡± I suggested, stroking my chin. ¡°But how?¡±


    Potions again.


    ¡°The old Alpha and the newly weds are here to see you. They may have the answer to your problem.¡±


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    A Kiss With The Alpha King

 CHAPTER 5

    <b>CHAPTER </b><b>5 </b>¨C FIND <b>HER</b>


    RHYS


    ¡°Alpha Keller is outside with his son and you are just telling me this now?¡±


    Mars scratched his trimmed beard, upied with undressing. ¡°Well, I was going to until you told me your big news. How did¡­how did it feel?¡±


    I did not know if he was trying to distract me from thinking about the unwanted visitors standing outside. Technically, I was the visitor but I was the Alpha King. Everynd was mine. Pondering on his question, my mind went back to my episode with Red Streaks. The first time I had felt a <b>change </b>in my body was when she had dragged a tongue across her lips. The action had been innocent yet erotic in


    some crazy way.


    She had tasted sweet, her tongue curious and she had smelled like¡­. Suddenly, I recalled something rather strange about her. I had been too interested in my first erection that I had not thought about it as unusual back then. She had no scent, none at all, something very strange for a wolf. Was she even a wolf?


    ¡°Alpha,¡± Mars whispered, jolting me out of my reverie. ¡°Did something else happen?¡±


    ¡°She had no scent. I just realized that now. Goddess, who is she? I let <b>her</b><b>¡­</b>I let her see my face, Mars! What if <b>she </b>is someone dangerous<b>, </b><b>a </b>spy maybe?¡±


    Czar snapped at me, clearly not agreeing with me. The situation was all messed up. I had hidden my identity from my soldiers <b>and </b>pack members yet a tiny woman had made me let down my guard. I tugged on my hair hard, punishing myself for my stupidity. I had allowed myself get carried away by her willing body.


    Mars was deep in thought, quiet at a time I expected him to say something to fix <b>this </b>mess. He peeped out the window and pulled the curtains close afterwards.


    ¡°Maybe all is not lost. The old Alpha knows everyone in this pack and he can easily fish her out but first, we need to handle one problem after the other. <b>You </b>still <b>want </b>to test your theory? Keller would be d to offer some females for your entertainment.¡±


    ¡°He might even offer his mate if she was alive. The man is an attention seeker and he irritates me<b>.</b>¡±


    Mars went to the bathroom, giving me a few minutes to finish dressing. If Red Streaks had been a spy, <b>I </b>should have known. She had acted suspicious fr e moment she had entered my room. Perhaps, <b>she </b>was just an idle maid who had wanted a sexual experience to gossip with her fellow maids about. Women were all the <b>same</b><b>, </b>after all.


    Fragile <b>as </b>they were<b>, </b>they were the most dangerous creatures ever <b>to </b>walk the food of the


    CHAPTERS FIND HER


    They thought only of themselves and would use any means necessary to get what they wanted. Mother had used her body to manipte Father yet being his Luna had not been enough for her. I was sick of hearing people call herna and it was the only reason I would ever think of finding a mate, anyone to take that position away from her.


    Once Mars had freshened up, he changed his shirt and waited for mymand.


    ¡°We shallmunicate through the window. Ask them to sit close to it and you are to speak on my


    behalf.¡±


    He bowed profoundly and left the room, reminding me that I was the most feared man in the kingdom. No little girl was going to ruin my self control. She might have some hold on my body but my mind was still as strong as ever. Just then, a memory of her shivering up against me was brought up byN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Crat


    Are you sure about that? he mocked.


    ¡°Shut up, Czar.¡±


    wride¡¯s new Alpha, Wren Maddock looked like a puppy just learning how to bark. He sat beside his new bride, his bleached blonde <b>hair </b>a few shades lighter than hers. Her <b>name </b><b>was </b>Ansley and she was beautiful <b>as </b>I expected, curvy at the right ces. However, her equally blonde hair <b>was </b>boringpared to the woman who had run out of my room hours ago.


    I wasmunicating through Mars mechanically, praying for the conversation to be <b>over </b>soon. Keller replied <b>Mars </b>with so much fake enthusiasm <b>that </b>I wished <b>to </b>grab his neck through the window and strangle him to death. Instead, I sat still on a wooden <b>chair </b>and <b>gave </b>my Beta the words he needed.


    ¡°My son and I are d to wee you and the Alpha King to our pack. Your presence was a big plus to the wedding <b>and </b>I am most grateful.¡± Keller gazed at his son and the boy nodded in agreement. He was not Alpha material <b>and </b>wride <b>would </b>suffer when his father finally passed away.


    ¡°Um, Alpha Keller, it has been a tiring trip from Plum Paradise to wride and I am afraid that the Alpha King is feeling a bit edgy. The bed is too cold for his liking.¡±


    I tranted the reactions on their faces as Mars dropped hisst word. Keller tensed before smiling with understanding. Wren gazed at his new <b>Luna</b>, who was frowning with displeasure. A smile widened <b>on </b>my lips <b>as </b>fear passed through her <b>eyes</b><b>. </b>She thought it was her I wanted or maybe she generally hated the idea of me wanting one of their women.


    ¡°<b>That </b>can be arranged tonight. The Alpha King may <b>have </b>anything he wants. We owe him our very <b>lives</b>.¡±


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    CHAFTER 5¨CFIND HER


    his de¨ºts, a cunning man indeed.


    With noching lech to discuss, Ansley pulled When away, andious to be somewhere far away. They


    ess Devor weds and eager to make love to each other. Werewolves were naturally sexual creatures, another person Miny Teller was not rmed by my request. He followed after the couple after shaking


    ants with Mars


    The woman they brought to meter that nightid on my bed, naked with her legs spread. After potting the potion. I had cured off the lights and on second thought, blindfolded her for precaution. She licked her lips seductive, roaming her arms around me. I could sense her fear but it was quickly Jemoved in deste, her full lips stained with Epstick and stretched in a loud moan. However, when I met benveen ber legs. I was withdrawn and bored. Nothing about her appealed to me, not even her


    inscite autis


    My inits were Treless and aber my twentieth yawn, the woman wriggling under me froze.


    ¡°is something wrong? Are you not enjoying yourself? could she was about to offer something


    Teave Leavel Get out of here I yelled, frustrated at my useless phallus. She jumped off my bed, more at the bindious and can for her life. Mars came in two secondster, running to my side. I didn¡¯t hear amirining he said, my wolf parting angrily


    The potions don¡¯t work it¡¯s the girl. She did this to me! Find her. I don¡¯t care what you have to do, War, near veide Padi apart Combs through every nook and cranny, find her and bring her to me!¡±


    Chapter Comments


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 CHAPTER 6

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 6 A JOURNEY TO BEGIN


    MARS


    In all my years, I had never seen the Alpha King so bothered and the fact that it was over amon maid was even more surprising. Within me, I had been hoping his first erection would be as a result of the potion but when the woman they had brought to him had run out naked, my hopes were


    dashed.


    Although I had not gotten a good look at the maid I had sent to his room, she had seemed like nothing special. Alpha Rhys had described her as best he could, shutting his eyes as if in pain. The maid


    must be some sort of witch to have a hold on him.


    The next morning, at the Alpha¡¯smand, I assembled all the guards who hade with us from Plum Paradise and we marched to our host¡¯s courtroom. Old Alpha Keller was having breakfast with his son, Wren and his new bride. He stood up from his seat, shocked to see us still in his pack.


    ¡°Beta Mars! 1¡­I had thought you and the Alpha King would already be on your way back. Plum Paradise is quite far from here,¡±


    He did not want us in his pack, my Alpha was right about that. Now that the wedding was over with, it seemed like we had overstayed our wee. I could see the fear in his eyes, the curiosity in Wren¡¯s and the disdain in his new Luna.


    ¡°I will go straight to the point, Alpha Keller. Yesterday, the Alpha King came across a young girl who brought a ss of wine to his suite at my instruction. She has red streaks in her blonde hair, green eyes, between the ages of 17-24 and she should be a maid. My Alpha wants to see this female.¡±


    ¡°Did she steal something of his?¡± Wren suggested, wiping his mouth clean with a napkin.


    will


    No. He demands to see her and wear wride apart if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we send a woman to his suitest night?¡± the new Luna fired at me disrespectfully, not trying to hide her hatred. ¡°What else could he possibly want?¡±


    ¡°Silence, Ansley! You do not speak when men are discussing!¡± Alpha Keller raised his voice and she pouted, displeased. ¡°Wren, take her away from here. I will handle this problem.¡±


    His son was d to have a responsibility lifted off his shoulders and he left with Ansley immediately. wride Pack deserved a better Alpha than that Daddy¡¯s boy. In his absence, Alpha Keller summoned a guard to his side.


    ¡°Go to the servants¡¯ quarters and get all the maids.¡±


    The guard bowed profoundly and went off to do his master¡¯smand. Within minutes, all the


    1/3


    CHAPTER 6 A JOURNEY TO BEGIN


    maids of rksville Pack filed out, their heads bowed low in reverence. There were at least sixteen of them and their mode of dressing was simr, different from what the maid I was looking for had been wearing. I checked from one maid to another. One had red streaks in her blonde hair but had blue eyes. Another had green eyes but jet ck hair. At the end of the line, a maid had blonde hair and green eyes but no red streaks in her hair.


    ¡°Well?¡± Alpha Keller urged, anxious to know what I was thinking.


    ¡°She is not here and that means she was never a maid. This case is getting more and more


    complex.¡±


    ¡°But why does the Alpha King want this woman? He can have any woman he wants. Women must


    be throwing themselves at him all the time.¡±


    I did not expect him to understand neither was I nning to expose my master¡¯s secret. The woman would have to be found somehow before the Alpha King¡¯s patience ran out.


    ¡°Call your councillors, Alpha Keller. We are going to have a meeting and this girl must be found or


    the consequences would be grave.¡±


    VENUS


    Unaware of what was going on in wride Pack because of me, I packed my few belongings into an old bag as soon as I was awake. Until then, I had not realized how little my clothes were. I actually had


    more books than clothes and it was not really something to be proud of. Books offered great sce, but


    I can¡¯t wear them.


    However, it was not anyone¡¯s fault. Father had kept me hidden for five years and because of that, Mother had seen no reason to keep buying me clothes I could not wear anywhere. I wore my old ones till they were torn and shabby.


    Once I was done, I pulled my hair into a single braid and knotted it with a ribbon. My luggage was light and Drew, no longer as agile as he used to be, crawled into my arms. He had turned thirteen that year and was getting slower and weaker. I dreaded the day he would die and prayed everyday that the Goddess would extend his life. He was all I had left with my wolf disconnected from me.


    ¡°Hey, we will be fine,¡± I said to him, more like reassuring myself. ¡°In time, I will find a job. somewhere and I will take care of the both of us, I promise.¡±


    Picking up my bag, I grabbed hold of my doorknob when heard two voices walking into the house. I ced Drew on my desk gently and listened to their conversation. It was Wren and Ansley, the supposed newlyweds having an argument. I bent low and peeped at them through my keyhole.


    ¡°The description of that woman sounds familiar, Wren, like it¡¯s someone I should know,¡± Ansley


    2/3


    CHAPTER 6 A JOURNEY TO BEGIN


    insisted, her hands arched on her hips. Wren was not interested in what she was saying, not pleased.


    with her.


    ¡°Was that why you felt the need to embarrass me today by speaking out of turn? What were you hoping to achieve?¡±


    ¡°I already said I was sorry!¡± Ansley threw up her hands in frustration. ¡°I just¡­.I don¡¯t really like that Alpha King at all. He is somanding and dominant, expecting all of us to fall on our faces


    because of him.¡±


    The Alpha King was here in wride Pack? Had he been invited to the wedding?


    ¡°You better watch your mouth, woman. Do you want to ruin things for me? Don¡¯t you ever forget your ce, Ansley! I am your Alpha and you are my Luna by chance. If only your sister¡¯s wolf had not been beastly and wild, I would have dly been mated to her. Venus is so beautiful and submissive


    whereas you don¡¯t have a filter over your mouth.¡±


    What were my ears hearing? Wren thought I was submissive? He wasn¡¯t to be med though. My


    father had seeded in killing my confidence when he constantly reminded me of how disappointed he


    was in me. Wren had not met the real me.


    ¡°I thought you loved me, Wren!¡± Ansley¡¯s voice was not as confident as before, now heartbroken. ¡°I gave you my virginity even when you found out that Venus was your mate and I betrayed my sister for you. How can you say such things to me?¡±


    Wren eyed her, a familiar sneer of irritation bending his small lips. ¡°You don¡¯t love me either,


    Ansley, so stop pretending! You were ambitious to be the next Luna of this pack and you have gotten. what you want. You don¡¯t need to pretend anymore and I don¡¯t need to as well. I am off to be with my


    mistress. You may return to the pce when you are done sulking.


    Ansley reached for him but he pulled his hands away. ¡°What about heirs? Are we not supposed to be making heirs for the pack¡¯s progress?¡± I did not recognize the meek voice that was supposed to be Ansley. She was usually fiery and assertive about what she wanted.


    ¡°There is always artificial insemination. Thank Goddess for new inventions in technology. Don¡¯t wait up for me.¡± Wren threw his words over his shoulders as he exited our house. I heard Ansley crying as she ran past my room and mmed her door shut. She had slept with Wren, knowing that he and I were mates and so, she would live with her sins forever. As for me, I had a journey to begin.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    A Kiss With The Alpha King.

 CHAPTER 7

    <b>CHAPTER </b>7 THE MATE <b>THIEF</b>


    MARS


    The councillors, war chiefs and generals walked into the courtroom, one after the other, greeting the old Alpha as they went along. I ordered all the guards I <b>came </b>with except one to begin <b>the </b>search while I remained behind for the meeting. The <b>Alpha </b>King was getting impatient and I did not know how long I <b>could </b>keep him from leaving his suite.


    I recognized some of the men from the wedding, most especially, General Ezekiel, who moved like a mountain lion. He was the father of the lovely bride and new Luna, Ansley <b>who </b>was off somewhere with her mate. The man looked tough, his upper arms and face bearing <b>scars </b>from old battles. His forest green were full of wisdom and his blonde hair was going grey. He was a man to look out for and I could only imagine how his wolf would be.


    When all had taken their seats, Keller cleared his throat to get everyone¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Brothers, I will go straight to the point. We have an issue of great importance on our hands. From amongst us, the Alpha King has <b>found </b>a woman who has caught his atattention.¡±


    Suddenly, noisy murmuring broke out from every side of the room. They were curious to know whom the lucky woman was. Lucky <b>indeed</b>, I thought, amused. Anyone mated to Alpha <b>Rhys </b>was bound


    to <b>a </b>loveless life of loneliness.


    ¡°That is wonderful news, Alpha,¡± a man at his right hand side agreed, smiling widely. ¡°Who is she?¡±


    ¡°That is the issue exactly, Nichols. She ran away before he could find out her name. However, he identified her as a young maid between the ages of 17-24. She has red streaks in her <b>hair </b>and has green eyes. Anyone of you who has a maid with any of these qualities should bring them to the pce. Perhaps she would be one of them and our pack would be free from the Alpha King¡¯s wrath.¡±


    The courtroom was silent for a while, minds deep in thought. I watched the slightest change of expression on their faces. There was no panic, just mild curiosity and worry. Shifting my stare to Zeke, 1 found a suspicious frown on his brow, his little finger tapping against his mouth. He knew something but was not sure enough to share his thoughts. Maybe, he needed some encouragement.


    ¡°Ezekiel! That is your name, right?¡± I asked him, like I didn¡¯t already know.


    ¡°It¡¯s General Zeke but you wouldn¡¯t know that,¡± he replied<b>, </b>his <b>eyes </b>icy and his <b>voice </b>hard <b>edged </b>with self¨Cconfidence. Someone gasped at his audacity and he red at the colleague. I was a representative of the Alpha King and was used to being respected as well. General Zeke was try pass a <b>message </b>across, which was, if others were afraid of <b>me</b><b>, </b>he wasn¡¯t.


    trying to


    ¡°I know your rank, General Zeke. However, I <b>could </b>not help noticing that you <b>had </b>something on your mind. Is there something you would like to tell us?¡±


    1/4


    CHAPTER 7 THE MATE THIEF


    His eyes narrowed and he immediately lowered his gaze. He was definitely hiding something.


    ¡°No. Actually, I just remembered something I left unfinished at home. With your permission, Alpha, I want to hurry home and get it done. I have no maids at my house and so, I believe this search <b>has </b>nothing to do with me. I beg to take my leave.¡±


    ¡°But, Zeke,¡± Kelley objected, ¡°you are a part of the council. This search has everything to do with you! You will not disrespect our guest¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Keller,¡± I cut in before he could finish speaking. ¡°He has no maid and if he says he has to we cannot keep him here against his will. Furthermore, to prove that I am not offended by <b>his </b>attitude, I will see General Zeke to the door.¡±


    <b>go</b>,


    The old soldier bowed reluctantly to the past Alpha and fell in beside me easily. He kept his eyes forward, refusing to acknowledge my presence. When we were out of the courtroom, he paused and


    turned to me.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°This girl your Alpha is looking for¡­this maid¡­<b>does </b>he know her name?¡±


    I was tempted to say yes but I decided to <b>give </b>him the truth. ¡°No. Why do you ask? Do you know her<b>, </b>General Zeke? The Alpha King will generously reward you if you have any information.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he stubbornly insisted<b>, </b>avoiding my eyes. ¡°I was just¡­curious<b>. </b>I will be on my way now.¡±


    He hurried away without looking back and he only confirmed my suspicions.


    ¡°Emery?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Beta Mars?¡± my remaining guard replied, on alert.


    ¡°Follow him and make sure to keep a safe distance. However, don¡¯t let him out of your <b>sight</b>.¡±


    ANSLEY


    Wren was right; I had indeed gotten what I wanted. I was now the Luna of wride Pack<b>, </b>my goal ever since I was <b>a </b>little girl but at what cost? I had betrayed my sister, stolen her mate and deceived <b>the </b>entire pack into believing that I and Wren were true mates.


    I should be happy. <b>I </b>should be in the arms of my husband, enjoying the early bliss of my young marriage. Yet, I sat on my <b>bed </b>in my old room, crying over my loss. Wren had used my <b>greed </b>against met and though he <b>and </b>I were of the same age, he <b>had </b>been wiser.


    I had <b>a </b>lover previously who <b>cared </b>about me. His <b>name </b>was Samuel but I had turned my back on him when Wren had shown interest in me. Unfortunately, it <b>was </b>discovered that Wren <b>and </b>my younger


    2/4


    CHAPTER 7 THE MATE THIEF


    sister were to be mates. I loved Venus but I could not let her live my dream life. I was born to be Luna <b>and </b>she could not take that away from me!


    In order to win Wren¡¯s favour, I let him sleep with me and he assured me that his father would never let him marry Venus because of her hideous wolf. So, when he rejected her and their mating ceremony was canceled, I was the least surprised. However, despite everything I had done to make Wren love me, he still kept mistresses and had never returned my love<b>. </b>Samuel would never forgive me and When would never love <b>me</b>. What a double loss!


    Suddenly, someone knocked on my door. I peeped out of my nkets where I had hidden myself in


    despair.


    ¡°<b>Go </b>away, Marianne. I don¡¯t want anything!¡±


    The door handle turned down anyways and I stood up to attack the intruder when my father filled my doorframe, his face as <b>dark </b>as a raincloud.


    ¡°Your maid, Marianne is waiting for you outside. Why <b>are </b>you here instead of at the pce with


    your new husband?¡±


    His words reminded me again of the reason why I was hiding in my room but I could not let him. know myage had failed even before it started. He would be disappointed in my inability to make my marriage work.


    ¡°Wren went to¡­meet some friends. I was lonely so I decided to <be </b>home and spend some time


    with Mother.¡±


    My red eyes and running nose obviously told another story but he did not challenge my lie.


    ¡°Be <b>quick </b>about it then and return to the pce. You are a Luna now and you need to start learning your responsibility as the mother of the pack. On a different note, have you seen your sister since you


    returned home?¡±


    I was about to reply when it dawned on me. It was true that I had <b>not </b>seen or heard from Venus


    since I was taken to the Memorial Hall of Alphas for my wedding.


    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t but she should probably be in her room.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought too when I <b>got </b>home but I <b>have </b>checked. She is not in there. I warned her


    not to leave this house! When <b>did </b>she start disobeying my orders?¡±


    He was


    <i>n </i>the edge, vibrating with anger. Something must be terribly wrong for him to be looking for Venus. It was really unlike him.


    ¡°Why are you looking for her, Father? Did something happen?¡±


    3/4


    CHAPTER 7 THE MATE THIEF


    He entered my room fully and load the Gees behind him. Ale in Anger sagged again his mouth endlessly, a habit he had formed when he was falinking


    ¡°Did you hear about the on the Agha King to searching for<i>? </i>She has red peaks in her birstide Hair, green eyes, between the ages of 17-25. We do with that exact descristian


    its could not have gue that lucky again. Contit Venus


    It couldn¡¯t be 1 refused to hell really be the girl the Alphe King was after?¡±


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 CHAPTER 8

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    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    <b>CHAPTER </b>8 <b>FINAL </b><b>THREAT</b>


    RHY¡¯S


    I tried to distract myself with my <b>phone </b>but even the inte was not entertaining at all. I dropped my phone on the table and yelled into a pillow. Mars had left with all the guards as I instructed and so, there was no one for me to take out my frustration on. Anxious for news and desperate for relief, I was tempted to run out of the room and lead the search myself.


    Czar was not making the waiting any easier. He poked around inside me, refusing to settle down. I <b>fought </b>the urge to shift and go <b>for </b><b>a </b>run. It usually helped to calm him in the past but I had to stay in the room that was feeling smaller and smaller by the hour. If Mars did note back with news and


    soon, I would not be held responsible for any actions I took. It was only fortunate that <b>as </b><b>the </b>Alpha King, I owed no one any apologies.


    Just as I was ready to take the entrance door off its hinges, Mars pushed the door open, wary of my


    mood.


    ¡°My Lord, I called for a meeting with the old Alpha¡¯s councillors and war chiefs¡­¡±


    ¡°Spare me the tiny details and tell me you have found her, Mars!¡±


    He bowed his head briefly in silence and that was <b>worse </b>than words. ¡°No one knows who she is and. the guards have returned too. They could not find her either. I am sorry, my Lord.¡±


    Somewhere in wride Pack, the solution to my oldest problem was walking freely and I was unable to search for her myself. Czar chose that moment to make aint and I grabbed my head, pulling at my locks in distress.


    ¡°Why won¡¯t you settle down?¡± I growled at my stubborn wolf. ¡°What do you want? Why her?¡±


    Mine, Czar immediately replied, prepared to give me hell.


    ¡°Alpha, you are harming yourself,¡± Mars warned, concerned about my recent behaviour. Czar was getting impatient and I would have to shift soon.


    Suddenly, a knock fell on my door. My struggle for control with Czar ended, my attention stolen by the distraction. Mars went out the door, leaving me to my inner battle. After a few minutes, he returned <b>with </b>a big smile on his face.


    ¡°There might be some hope after <b>all</b>, my Lord. You <b>see</b>, during the meeting, I noticed that General Zeke, one of Alpha Keller¡¯s war chiefs was acting a bit off.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± Couldn¡¯t he ever go straight to the point?


    1/4


    CHAPTER 8 FINAL THREAT


    Mars frowned at my impatience <b>but </b>said nothing about it. He knew me too well to feel offended. ¡°Well, he got up in the middle of the meeting and decided that he had something he <b>had </b>forgotten to do. I was suspicious of him and sent Emery after him, Emery is outside hopefully with some news.¡±


    Czar rxed and it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders. Mars had made an intelligent decision but I was not one to givepliments.


    ¡°I want to hear everything he has to say directly. When you <b>speak </b>to him, I will call you and you are to put your phone on speaker. If General Zeke is hiding information from me, I will skin him <b>alive </b>and feed his intestines to hyenas.¡±


    It turned out that Emery had indeed heard a lot but not enough. I paced the room, listening to his conversation with Mars,


    ¡°Wee back, Emery. Tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°General <b>Zeke </b>went home as he said but he <b>was </b>looking for someone. He met the <b>new </b>Luna instead and there is a chance, Beta Mars that someone with the exact description of the missing girl lives in his house.¡±


    Mars was puzzled, stroking his chin thoughtfully. ¡°That¡¯s not possible. General Zeke said he has no maid. The person he was looking for, did he mention her name?¡°Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    she <i>h</i>


    If I had a name, the search would be way easier. I remembered asking for her name from her but had been stuttering without giving anything away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Beta but they did not mention a name. However, he was initially looking for the Luna¡¯s sister but I don¡¯t know if they are the <b>same </b>person. Forgive me, Beta. I did not get as much information <b>as </b>I should have.¡±


    ¡°It was not your fault. You have done well, Emery. You may go to the guard room and <b>have </b>your meal.¡±


    I heard nothing more <b>over </b>the phone for a while before Mars spoke up.


    ¡°You have heard him, my Lord. What next?¡± He did not <b>have </b>to wait long.


    ¡°You will go back to Alpha Keller and demand an audience with General Zeke. I want her found before our return to Plum Paradise. If we leave wride Pack now¡­¡± I cut myself short, unwilling toplete my sentence but I was sure Mars understood anyways.


    If we left wride Pack, we might never find her and I would be an iplete man for the rest of my life.


    2/4


    CHAPTER 8 FINAL THREAT


    Alpha Keller did not refuse my request, immediately sending two guards to fetch Zeke. I wanted to be present for the interrogation so the host Alpha prepared <b>a </b>special room. I would sit in a dark booth and listen to the interrogation. He would not be able to see me and I <b>would </b>be twice as intimidating.


    The door to the room burst open and two guards dragged in <b>a </b>reluctant Zeke. I knew him from the wars he fought for wride Pack in the past. He <b>was </b>a strong¨Cwilled man and a hard nut to crack.


    ¡°Take your hands off me! You will pay for this disrespect with your lives!¡± Zeke threatened the guards, baring his teeth at them. Asides me, other people in the room were Mars and Keller.


    From where I sat, I could see the trembling of Zeke¡¯s hands and the guilt shining in his <b>eyes </b>when


    he saw his Alpha shaking his head in disappointment<b>.</b>


    ¡°<b>Have </b>a seat, General Zeke,¡± Mars offered, pointing to a stool in the middle of the room.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather stand,¡± he fired back, folding his arms across his chest.


    ¡°It was <b>not </b>a request. Sit,¡± my Beta repeated, making his voice as hard <b>as </b>steel. Keller said nothing In his defence <b>and </b>the <b>general </b>obeyed eventually.


    ¡°<b>You </b>will answer my questions truthfully, General Zeke or you will have yourself to me. Where is your daughter?¡±


    He sat up at once, looking at his hands. ¡°Ansley is at home with her mother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t y with my intelligence, General. I meant your other daughter, the one you rushed home to look for earlier today. Alpha Keller here fortunately has seen your daughter before and told <b>me </b>she is an exact match for the missing girl. Red streaks in her blonde <b>hair</b><b>, </b>green eyes much like <b>yours </b>and in the <b>age </b>bracket.¡±


    Zeke attempted a dryugh, watching Mars surround his low stool. ¡°I sent her to her aunt in


    Crossroads Pack yesterday morning. Her mother¡¯s sister is pregnant and <b>needs </b>assistance. I was so used to her being at home that I forgot she wasn¡¯t. Therefore, it is not possible that it was my daughter who entered the Alpha <b>King¡¯s </b>room.¡±


    He could be lying but also, he could be saying the truth. However, I had no proof to contradict his story and neither did Mars. It was so frustrating that I could not wrap my fingers around his old neck and force him to tell the truth. I was helpless to change the situation and my throat itched with the <b>need </b>to howl. I snuck out of the booth through the exit door, hearing Mars¡® final threat.


    ¡°My Alpha wille after you if you <b>are </b><b>lying</b>, Zeke. This is not over.¡±


    Unable to control Czar anymore, I broke into a run <b>and </b>headed for the woods. Halfway there, I tore my clothes off, jumped into thin alnded on all fours. Czar was furious and destroyed trees as I


    <b>ran </b>deep into <b>the </b>forest. When I could see the moon again, I sat on my hind legs and howled with my whole being<b>, </b><b>all </b>hope los

 CHAPTER 9

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 9- PLUM PARADISE


    VENUS


    The night was dark and the light from the moon was not very bright. However, the fear of going back kept me moving. Drew¡¯s weight was slowing me down but I did not want to put him down. I was afraid that he would wander off and somebody else would find him. He was my responsibility and I was


    to keep him safe.


    I did not know where I was going but my feet never stopped long enough for my brain to realize that I was going deeper and deeper into the forest. I was tired, hungry and ready to copse when i heard a howl that shook the trees around me. Grabbing on to a tree trunk, I held on for dear life. The werewolf was in pain and his or her sadness tugged at my heart. Who could it be?


    Goosebumps covered my arms and my mouth went dry. The howl was like a cry for longing and it echoed in my soul. It felt like whomever it was, was calling to me and I could not shake the feeling. The


    forest eventually became quiet and the effects of the howl wore off on me.


    When my feet could not walk another inch, I fell to the ground, feeling boneless and weary. Upon


    leaving home, I had not made any ns. I had acted on s**d impulse and I was reaping the consequences of my s**y. Within me, I knew I could not live in a pack where nobody wanted me around, nobody liked me including my family and my mate had not been merciful enough to ept me


    the way I was.


    I would have had to endure seeing Wren and Ansley together for the rest of my lonely life and I wouldn¡¯t even have my wolf aspany. A pet, even one as loyal as Drew, had its limits and could not have a conversation with me. Sooner orter, I would die without a mate, without knowing the joy of


    children and having achieved nothing.


    Angry at my unhappy life, I made up my mind. It was no wonder Wren thought I was submissive. I had been too quiet and suppressed by my family for too long. It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself and start my life on a new chapter. Perhaps, in a new pack, I would find friendship and forget how horrible my life once was. I dug into my bag and found my pair of scissors.


    ¡°Tonight, the old Venus is dead,¡± I dered to myself, grabbing a handful of my locks and cutting it short with the sharp scissors. I buried the long ponytail I had cut off in the ground, my now short hair barely touching my shoulders. Once that was settled, I pushed myself up to my feet and continued walking till I got to a small river.


    I heard male voices discussing and asionalughter. Drew drank from the river while I assessed the situation. An old truck was packed by the pathway, meaning I had finally left the forest behind. I was hours away from wrid ack and I had no intentions of ever going back. I drank some water and washed my stained face quic pulling Drew away from the water before he alerted the men.


    I had to get to the truck without them seeing me but it was tricky business. The moonlight shone.


    1/3


    CHAPTER 9-PLUM PARADISE


    on their faces where they stood in front of the truck, the bo thrown open.


    ¡°I am so tired of this truck, Marty. Goddess knows why I still bother repairing this pile of rubbish,¡± manined, sticking his head further into the engine. Ils partner, Marty burst intoughter, his big stomach bouncing as heughed.


    ¡°Everyone knows you have a thing for this truck and also, you can¡¯t afford to get a new one either. So, get her running so we can leave this ce, Seb.¡±


    They fell silent as Seb worked on the engine diligently, Marty tried starting the truck again ?nd fortunately, it roared with life, sounding like a dying grinder. Seb did a small victory dance and took the driver¡¯s seat. It was my chance to hide in the back. The boot had no roof, only an old, dirty tarpaulin nket. It smelled of oil from engines but was worth it. I was ready to pay the price for my freedom.


    Drew curled in my arms as Iid on my side, protecting him with my body. Soon, the truck started. moving and I closed my heavy eyes in relief. Within minutes, I fell asleep, limp as a noodle.Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    Drew woke me up, licking my face in enthusiasm. He did not like small spaces and was eager to be running in the open woods. If he hadn¡¯t woken up first, I wasn¡¯t sure if I would have gotten up. My back and shoulders ached from the position I had slept in and I rubbed my sore neck as well. It was after 1


    had examined my body that I noticed that the truck had stopped moving.


    I went on my hands and knees, thinking of a way to escape. There were some crates in the truck as well and they had made my sleeping very ufortable. Anytime soon, the men would take the tarpaulin nket off and find me. Maybe they would be friendly and let me go or they would consider me a spy and have me arrested. Worse case scenario, they would be **e traders and sell me off to s**e masters. I had to slip away before they found me.


    My whole body trembling with uncertainty, I peeped from underneath the nket, listening for footsteps and voices. Hearing none, I brought out my whole head and the sun rays nearly blinded me. I had gotten used to the darkness from walking through the forest to battling with rats in the truck boot. I attempted peeping again and my eyes had adjusted to the bright light.


    The environment was breezy and from the shadows of the trees, it was almost noon. How long had I slept? I must have been more exhausted than I thought. All of a sudden, feet approached the boot and a hand was pulling the nket away. I would be discovered and Goddess alone knew what they would do to me. As the lifted nket was about exposing my presence, a name was mentioned. The hand on the nket stilled and I let out a breath of relief I did not know I was holding.


    Despite how exhausted I was, I had to leave before the man returned. I had been saved by sheer luck and lucky events rarely happened twice. I picked up Drew and tried not to bang my head against the roof of the boot. After counting twenty seconds in my head, I peeled the nket back a little to allow me crawl out while still protectir; me from view. It worked and I was on the ground, Drew staying


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    CHAPTER 9-PLUM PARADISE


    quiet beside me.


    Throwing caution to the wind, I gathered Drew up to my chest and ran without looking back. No one was chasing me but I didn¡¯t slow down till I found myself on a small hill. Whichever pack I was in, it was beautiful. I could see the new houses, cars driving past people talking and healthy children ying. The atmosphere was different from that of wride Pack. Everyone seemed happy and people passed beside me without caring about how rough I looked.


    ¡°Excuse me, madam,¡± I stopped a random woman. ¡°Please, which pack is this?¡±


    She looked at me like I was crazy and I did look crazy, my short hair sticking out wildly and my dress dirty beyond repair. ¡°This is Plum Paradise, the pack of the Alpha King. I must be on my way


    now.¡±

 CHAPTER 10

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 10 My Deration


    RHYS


    I sat still for the first time in days, watching Mats doing our packing. I had only meant to attend a wedding and head back to Plum Paradise. All my ns had been dashed by a red-haired witch who had vanished into thin air after spinning my world off its axis. The guards had not been able to find her and even Mars was getting tired of my constantining.


    He watched me closely when he thought I was asleep, probably afraid that I would lose my mind soon. Terrible wars and dangerous battles had not been enough to drive me crazy but thoughts of a mere girl without a scent was keeping me up at night. It was shameful but true.


    ¡°Alpha, 1 am done with the packing and the guards have returned. When do we leave for Plum Paradise?¡±


    Looking out the window, I could see our warriors waiting outside for mymand. They had not rested, searching day and night for her. Sometimes, I began to believe I had Imagined her, a creation out of my desperation for a cure. However, I could not forget that kiss, the feeling of her lips against mine, her hands pulling urgently at my hair. It couldn¡¯t have been my Imagination and as I recalled the memory, I felt a sensation below my waist. It wasn¡¯t strong enough for an erection but it was better than feeling lifeless down there.


    ¡°We depart immediately. The old Alpha only will apany us to the boundary. I have a message.


    for him.¡±


    Mars gave me a profound how and picking up our suitcases, he left me alone. I was in one of my favourite suits, a charcoal grey suit that fit like a glove. The purple dress shirt withinplimented my eyes and I began to feel more like myself again. My Maserati was brought to the front of the suite building, ready to go. Mars would drive me while the guards would follow behind us with Keller.


    Taking onest look at my reflection in the mirror, I bound my hair back with a string and slid my ring onto my index finger. Sleeping in a strange pack had been difficult regardless of the efforts made to ensure I wasfortable. The journey to Plum Paradise took a whole day on foot, half a day by car and I would have all the time to rest my eyes. It was time to go home, with or without Red Streaks.


    I pulled open the car door and rolled up the tinted windows. In no time, Mars returned with Keller and he went into the car driven by my guards. Mars took the driver¡¯s seat, ncing at me through the


    front mirror.


    ¡°Is anything the matter, Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Drive, Mars. I am sick of this ce. The sooner we leave, the better for me,¡± I snapped at him and brought out my phone. He started the car and off we went, leaving wride Pack. Mars was obviously. unaware of my need for silence because once we were on the road, he resumed the conversation.


    1/3


    ??? ?? ???


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    Hot be used fosys #N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    CHAPTER 10 My Deration


    ¡°I do,¡± I dyed, enjoying his fear. I could almost taste it, the emotion vibrating off him. Some wolves could sense other wolves¡¯ essence. Some said it was a mate thing. I was the exception to that rule because I didn¡¯t have a mate.


    ¡°Somehow, you were unable to find the girl I was looking for. I am not one known to let go of offences, Keller and my eyes will remain on this pack. asionally, my men would return in search of her and I give you a month to find her unless the consequences would be severe.¡±


    To my surprise, Keller fell on his knees, begging for mercy. ¡°I am sorry, my Lord but so far, we have done our best. I have cooperated with you and never challenged any of your orders, I wish I knew who this woman is. If I did, I would have brought her to you myself. My son, Wren is the new Alpha and he is


    young. Please forgive us and do not let his reign be problematic.¡±


    His pleas meant nothing to me and hiszy son was enough to ruin everything his father had built. Forgiveness was not an option, at least not to me. Nothing else was an option unless it concerned a red- haired young woman whose lips tasted better than the best wine. My fists formed balls of sexual frustration and briefly, I closed my eyes, immediately seeing her wide, green ones.


    Goddess, help me, I am going insane.


    ¡°I have no business with your son. My grievance is with wride Pack as a whole and I will not stop until I get what I want. Therefore, today, I make my deration. For every week that goes by without the girl being found, a girl from this pack will be sent to Plum Paradise to be a s**t in my pce. If a year goes by and she is not found yet, I will take the pack¡¯s Luna, Ansley Vinley, Zeke¡¯s daughter.¡±

 CHAPTER 11

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    <b>CHAPTER </b>11 A <b>POSITIVE </b>RESPONSE


    VENUS


    ¡°Leave and don¡¯t ever show your face here again!¡± Mr Banks, a robust, middleaged man yelled from behind me.


    I stumbled out of a store, the receptionist staring at me with pity in her eyes. It was my third day in <b>Plum </b>Paradise and my fifth rejection. Mr Banks, the store manager had been fascinated by my intelligence but immediately I told him <b>that </b>I was not from their pack, his friendliness expired<b>. </b>He stopped listening to anything I was saying and I lost my temper.


    Plum Paradise was modern, up¨Cto¨Cdate and it was the capital of the werewolf kingdom. It was the center ofmerce and wride Pack had nothingpared to them. Yet, I could not seem to get <b>a </b>single job. Their reasons were numerous. Some said I was not strong enough for the type of job they were offering. A woman even said I was odd, too socially awkward for the job of a secretary.


    I was hungry and tired, with no money on me. Drew was hidden in a trash can nearby because I could not take him in with me. He had made me lose my first job interview, jumping out from under the table and scared the female manager. I was thrown out without a second thought and since then, I would leave him behind. Yet, my job hunt had still <b>been </b>unsessful.


    It was times like that that I missed Bly. Without her, I was almost human and I <b>had </b>all their disadvantages. I was no longer as strong as I used to be and I was nowhere close to finding my second chance mate. The possibility was seeming smaller as the days went by. However, I remembered my vow to stop feeling sorry for <b>myself</b>. I had to move on and return to the lively, optimistic person I used to be.


    Drew was happy to see me, leaping Into my arms. He had been digging in the trash and his fur was dirty but at least he got something to eat. I on the other hand was praying for a miracle. I sat under <b>a </b>tree, watching the peoplee and go. When my eyes lingered on anyone for too long, they got the wrong idea and walked even faster. I just wanted something to eat, my eyes heavy fromck of proper sleep.


    I had found an abandoned cabin in the forest and crashed there after a day of idle wandering. It did not <b>have </b>a bed or a chair but it was better than sleeping out in the open. However, the floor was too hard and had some nails poking out of the rotten wet <b>wood</b>. I slept with the constant fear on rolling onto one and <b>so, </b>I rarely kept my eyes shut for <b>five </b>minutes. It was a miserable existence and it was all I


    had.


    Suddenly, Drew barked from beside me, his cars on alert and his nose sniffing the air. He was an excellent tracker <b>and </b>something must have caught his attention. He looked up at the <b>tree </b><b>and </b>released another loud bark. I followed his line of sight and up there was <b>a </b>cat stuck in the <b>tree</b>. It was scared <b>and </b><b>hanging </b>off a branch. My first thought was to save it but then, it could be <b>a </b>wild cat. I didn¡¯t need to add injuries to my hunger.


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    CHAPTER 11 A POSITIVE RESPONSE


    ¡°Okay, Kitty,¡± I beckoned to the cat, stretching out my hands. ¡°Let¡¯s try to work together here. Come on, <b>jump</b>.¡±


    The cat scratched its orange fur, trying to decide whether to trust me or not. When it brought its head up a bit and peeped down at me, I noticed it was staring at Drew. Right, cats were afraid of dogs or was it hatred?


    ¡°Drew is harmless, Kitty,¡± I assured it as if it could hear me. I went closer to the end of the branch, hoping it would encourage it to jump. Finally, it untangled itself and came obediently. Once it was safe in my arms, Drew was curious to <b>have </b>a closer look and the cat shivered in fear. She was wearing a beautiful red cor with a golden medallion in front.


    ¡°Here, Esme!¡± a man called and the cat sat up at attention. The man was no ordinary perso


    person, his navy blue uniform identifying him as a guard. His hair was cut very low to his <b>scalp </b>and he was young but probably older than me. His eyes <b>were </b>searching around for something and it had to be the cat in my hands. I kept Drew behind me and approached the man, unsure of what to say.


    He nced at me quickly from my untidy hair to my dirty <b>toes</b>, anxious to continue with his search.


    ¡°Sorry to bother you but I found this cat and I <b>was </b>wondering if you knew whom it belonged to.¡±


    He lowered his nce to the animal lyingfortably in my bosom. His worried expression dissolved into relief and when he smiled, he looked more handsome<b>. </b>The cat noticed that it <b>was </b>the center of attention and sat up again.


    ¡°There you are, Esme!¡± he cried, reaching for the small animal. It crawled into his waiting arms, no longer afraid. ¡°But where did you find her?¡± he asked<b>, </b>cing Esme against his shoulders,


    ¡°She was up the tree,¡± I pointed at the tree I had been taking shelter under, ¡°and it was actually my dog, Drew that found her. I only brought her down.¡±


    Drew barked sharply as a means of introducing himself. The guard went down on a knee and dragged his fingers through Drew¡¯s fur. The cat stayed out of reach, not still trusting the old dog.


    ¡°Thank you, Drew and thank you¡­.¡± he paused, waiting for me to say my name. Was it safe to tell me my real <b>name</b><b>?</b>


    ¡°I¡¯m Vee, short for Venus,¡± I replied, deciding to go with the truth.


    ¡°Venus, the goddess of love and beauty. Suits you. I¡¯m Dan and I am a royal guard.¡±


    That exined the smart uniform and had he beenplimenting me before? I knew I was not looking my best so maybe he was just trying to be nice<b>.</b>


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Dan.¡±


    <b>2/3</b>


    CHAPTER 11 A POSITIVE RESPONSE


    ¡°The pleasure is all mine. I owe you big time. I was taking Esme for a walk by order of her owner. When I stopped to buy a doughnut, she got chased by a dog and snapped her leash off. If I had not found her, I would have gotten in trouble with Mistress Lana.¡±


    He held up the broken leash, his smile driven away by worry again.


    ¡°Maybe I can help.¡± I tugged the


    around Esme¡¯s neck. My hair fell in wg off my hair and used it to reattach the leash to the corBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    waves, already growing out. Once <b>done</b><b>, </b>Dan examined my job


    and pulled on the leash to make sure it would not <b>give </b><b>way</b>.


    ¡°It is only temporary, I¡¯m afraid until you can find asting solution.¡±


    ¡°Now I owe you two favours, Vee. You look tired and you must need something<b>. </b>How can I be of help?¡±


    w


    It was now or never, my chance to get the assistance I needed. He waited patiently for me to speak.


    ¡°Well, I am new to Plum Paradise and I need a job, one with amodation benefits. I have been searching but I have not found any. Do you know anyone looking for a help or a vacancy anywhere?¡±


    Dan stroked his chin thoughtfully, cradling Esme closer to his side. I was silently praying in my heart for a positive response.


    ¡°The pce is enormous so it is always in need of maids but it might be difficult because you are not from this pack. However, I will help you as much as I can. I will take you to my sister¡¯s house where you can <b>have </b>a bath and a meal. Come with me.¡±


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 CHAPTER 12

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    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    <b>CHAPTER </b><b>12 </b>PARADISE PALACE


    ¨C


    VENUS


    After a long bath, I began to feel more like myself. My hair was easier to wash now and the warm water had done wonders for my aching bones. Somehow, I managed to convince Drew to have a bath <b>too </b>because his fur was stained with mud. Emmaline, Dan¡¯s sister was soft spoken and nice, her brte hair as straight as <b>rain</b>. Her cheeks were rosy and when she smiled, it was genuine. She had <b>found </b>her mate and he worked at the pce too. It was he who had helped Dan get the job there.


    ¡°Here is a dress you <b>can </b>change into. I <b>saw </b>that the one you arrived in is torn,¡± Emmaline <b>offered</b>, holding up a dress. She was <b>a </b>little above <b>five </b>feet, meaning I <b>was </b>taller but she <b>had </b>more bulk, her stomach swollen with pregnancy.


    ¡°Thank you, Emmaline. I am sorry for any inconvenience. I will leave <b>as </b>soon as I find a job.¡±


    She waved away my gratitude, blushing effortlessly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Between you and me, I am bored most of the time with Hunter working at the pce all day. I have no one to talk to and my boys drive me nuts. I am d to have femalepany even if it¡¯s for a little while.¡±


    We shared augh, transferring the dress from her hands. It was a simple blue cotton dress with yellow flowery hems, nothing like I had ever owned. I was <b>used </b>to long brown dresses that Ansley no longer wanted or low budget clothing material.


    ¡°It¡¯s pretty. Thank you again.¡±


    ¡°Oh, just stop!¡± she begged, pressing her palms against her cheeks. ¡°You are embarrassing me. It¡¯s the little I can <b>do</b>. I wish I can do more. Tell me if the dress suits or if you need something else. Come down for a meal when you are done.¡±


    She left me in a small room and I closed the door gently. During my bath, she had taken my shabby clothes away, probably tossing them in the trash. The thought of a meal was enough to ensure that I <b>dressed </b>in a hurry. The dress was short <b>as </b>I earlier guessed, barely falling past myps. It was breezy also and the puffed <b>sleeves </b>felt like wings against the wind.


    Not knowing what to do with my short hair, I brushed it backwards, the <b>crazy </b>curls rebelling against the soft brush and let them fall behind my neck freely. It was still wet and <b>heavy</b>. Drewid under a <b>chair</b>, eyeing me still for the unwanted bath he had received against his will.


    ¡°Look how shiny your fur is now. Grandma would be so proud. You will forgive me after you eat something. Let¡¯s go, Drew.¡±


    ¡°There she is,¡± Dan said as I descended the stairs with Drew at my heels. Emmaline¡¯s twins, Gary


    1/3


    CHAPTER 12 PARADISE PALACE


    and Barry sat at the table, drumming noisily in anticipation. Emmaline carried lunch carefully <b>in </b>a big ceramic bowl, and <b>Dan </b>rushed to help.


    ¡°Quit ying at the table, boys or I¡¯ll send you to your rooms without lunch!¡± she threatened and <b>it </b>was enough to end themotion. She sighed and rolled her eyes to heaven. I wanted to help her out but she shooed me away.


    ¡°You are our guest. Sit back, please. Any allergies?¡±


    I had none and I told her so. Thirty minutes and two helpings of mashed potatoester, the table was cleared by the twins. They <b>were </b>both nine and <b>attacked </b>the dishes in <b>the </b>sink. Dan gave me some time to rx before returning to the job issue. Emmaline sat across the living room, listening in <b>to </b>our


    conversation.


    ¡°So about the job at the pce, I don¡¯t know much about the requirements but I do know that there will be some kind of test. I called Hunter when you were in the shower and he doesn¡¯t know either. Anyways, there are some things you should be aware of.¡±


    He adjusted himself on the couch, briefly checking the time <b>on </b>his wristwatch. He had to be back in the pce anytime soon. Esme was on hisps, licking her paws.


    ¡°Firstly, <b>you</b>


    ou can¡¯t tell the head of servants you <b>are </b>not from Plum Paradise. The pce does not hire strangers <b>and </b>it would <b>reduce </b>your chances.¡±


    ¡°You are not from Plum Paradise?¡± Emma asked, now looking at me cautiously. So much for finding


    someone who would like me for me<b>.</b>


    ¡°No,¡± I confessed<b>, </b>avoiding her eyes. ¡°I ran away from a bad situation at home and I ended <b>up</b>


    <b>here</b><b>.</b><b>¡±</b>


    Her frown <b>changed </b>into concern and she smiled at <b>me</b><b>.</b>


    ¡°Anything else?¡± I wanted to know. Dan gave me a sweeping nce like he had in town, his longshes brushing against his hard cheekbones. He was a brte like his older sister and his side <b>burns </b><b>were </b>neatly cut. He was an attractive man if I was <b>the </b>type looking for a quickie <b>but </b>I was in the market


    for a second chance mate.


    dog.¡±


    ¡°Also, no dogs at the <b>pce</b>. Mistress Henrietta is allergic. Strange, <b>right</b>? A <b>werewolf </b>allergic to a


    It <b>was </b>strange indeed but I only nodded, choosing to say nothing. Whomever Mistress Henrietta


    was, she was an odd character<b>.</b>N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    ¡°My boys can watch your dog <b>for </b>you. Goddess knows they have been wanting one since they could <b>stand</b>,¡± Emmaline dered, making me another offer. Dan waited <b>for </b>a reply, still admiring me from a distance. I was <b>nothing </b>much to look at so I <b>preferred </b>to ignore him.


    2/3


    CHAPTER 12- PARADISE PALACE


    ¡°Okay but Drew is a bit old. Too much running could tire him out easily. Apart from that, he is


    golden.¡±


    Dan stood <b>as </b>soon as I gave my permission and the twins appeared as if summoned. Drew <b>went </b>with them, needing little convincing and Emmaline excused herself out of the room,ining of a light headache. Dan and I were left in the room and I was ufortable with his continuous staring.


    ¡°Can we go now?¡±


    He blinked quickly as if previously in a dream. ¡°Sorry. Yes, of course.¡±


    Dan had described the Paradise Pce on our way there but it was nothingpared to the reality. The roads that led to the four gates reflected my image clearly like a mirror would. The gates were made of hammered sheets of gold and the pce was a sight to behold. I tipped my head backwards to see the top of the mansion, almost falling on my back.


    The magnificence of the beautiful building held me to a spot and it took Dan some time before he realized that I had stopped moving. Was this where I was supposed to work? It would be like walking on eggshells everyday of my life. Heughed at the awe on my face <b>and </b>I burned with embarrassment.


    It would be like walking on


    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to <b>it</b>,¡± he assured me when he submitted his gate pass at the security post. ¡°I have to leave you here because I have to return Esme to Mistress Lana. Maids <b>are </b>taken care of the most <b>here </b>than anywhere else in the kingdom and this is the Alpha King¡¯s domain. Don¡¯t worry,¡± <b>he </b>added when he <b>saw </b>the fear entering my eyes. ¡°No one has ever <b>seen </b>him and there is no chance that you would


    either.¡±


    I swallowed his reassurance, my confidence dying as he waved goodbye to me. Walking up to a pce guard, I picked up the pieces of my courage.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Vee. I am here to apply for the position of a maid.¡±


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 CHAPTER 13

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 13 DAY DREAMING


    RHYS


    Three days after our return from wride Pack, Matilda could no longer hold back her curiosity. She hovered around me, tugging at a bed that she had already dressed. I sat at my desk, watching her break slowly.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me what happened in wride Pack or not, Alpha? Mars gave me a hint but it only made it worse.¡±


    **n Mars, I cursed under my breath. Couldn¡¯t I have my own secrets anymore?


    I went through the pack¡¯s ounts, nothing interesting me in the least. I was trying to upy myself but the numbers were beginning to look like scrambled codes. Giving up on the distraction strategy, I left my desk and went to the window. The curtains were parted fully but all the sses were opaque. I was in no danger of being seen.


    ¡°I had my first erection in wride Pack,¡± I broke the news like I was discussing the weather. I heard


    Tilly¡¯s feet walking towards me and I held up a hand. I did not want herfort or her sympathy. The one thing I wanted I could not have and I was not used to not getting my way.


    She stopped a few feet from me and I did not need to see her face to know she was still very curious to


    hear the details. Why would it matter? I had been**d enough to let my remedy slip through my fingers.


    ¡°Who is she? Where is she?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing!¡± I turned around swiftly, my hair falling onto my face. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Who she is, where she hade from, where she is now, I don¡¯t know! It is so frustrating that I had not thought to know her name. It had happened so fast. I lost my head in the unfamiliar sensation, the painful pleasureN?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    of feeling¡­of feeling¡­¡±


    Complete, of feelingplete. I finished my sentence in my head but of course, Tilly understood without me saying everything. She was the only mother I knew, my biological mother wise enough to keep her distance and still foolish to demand her rights every now and then.


    ¡°What was she like?¡± Tilly was now standing close to me, unable to help herself. I didn¡¯t stop her, leaning heavily on the window frame. I closed my eyes and without much effort, the image of Red Streaks filled my memory though some parts were unclear.


    ¡°She had red streaks in her hair, was young and innocent, petite, fitting perfectly against my body. She was scared of me at first but when we kissed, it was like she melted into me and we became one body. She touched me and..and it just happened. Goddess, I want to feel like that again.¡±


    1/3


    ¡°en som slit Tus me alone back prave ne ate hehalf ¡°The only means the potions are


    shook my hund, diepting they


    a


    getton ¡°That what Marx thought but we tested that theory and he was sering. The polioms don¡¯t wet but the does and if I never find her¡­.¡± I paused, epting my snapban from Till finally dosed the gap, enclosing me in a warm bear hug.


    *I have not Tout Hope yet. I have so much faith in you, Rhys I have watched you grow from an angry little boy to a promising leader and I will never give up on you. If she is the one, you will find her but if she is not, the one you need wille and the would never leave. ¡°


    Shecuned her grip on me, a shaky smile on her lips. ¡°I am so proud of the man you have be. I know I am not your real mother but you are my child in all the ways that matter. Be at peace with yourself.¡±


    Tilly patted my forearm kindly and left me on my own. My big room suddenly seemed smaller and for the first time since 1 caught my mother cheating on my father, I wanted to curl myself under my bed and be alone.


    A knock fell on my door and I wanted to scream. Why couldn¡¯t I have a day to myself?


    You are the Alpha King, Czar reminded me unnecessarily. You have no privacy.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I snapped, not caring to hide my irritation.


    ¡°It¡¯s Mars,¡± was the calm answer I got. Who else could it have been anyways? Only Tilly and Mars had ess to my chambers and since Tilly had just left, it had to be Mars. Nevertheless, I was not in the mood for more polite conversation.


    ¡°It¡¯s urgent, Alpha,¡± Mars pressed on when I said nothing. I returned to my desk and asked him toe in. He pushed the door open at once and let himself in. He bowed low in reverence and brought forward hisint.


    ¡°The matter is concerning your mistresses, particrly Mistress Ate and Mistress Lilith. They had a fight in our absence and some of the maids have resigned because of them.¡±


    Was that the matter he deemed urgent? I had little or no business with my mistresses sexually or emotionally. Mars catered for them materially out of my abundance and satisfied them on my behalf. Some were daughters of influential men yet were content to live off my charity.


    ¡°So, hire more maids! What does all these have to do with me?¡±


    Mars was acting strange for some reason and he was looking everywhere but at me. Was something else going on? Mars had never given me any reason to doubt his loyalty in the past but it was unusual of him to look so bothered.


    CHAPTER 13 DAY DREAMING


    ¡°If they are not satisfied with life in the Paradise Pce, send them to the cottage and keep them there until they learn to appreciate what I provide. I have a lot to worry about without ungrateful women causing a nuisance within my walls.¡±


    I was done speaking but he still stood quietly, looking beyond me.


    ¡°Was there something else, Mars?¡±


    He shook his head in the negative, his hands behind him. Strange.


    ¡°You may leave. I was about taking a nap before you knocked.¡±


    ¡°Have a nice rest, Alpha.¡± Mars exited the room as silently as he hade in, even more strange. Was he bing tired of my unpleasant nature? We had been friends before we had be Alpha and Beta. He should have gotten used to my dark moods by now.


    I slumped my heavy shoulders and eyed my bed. Could I actually sleep for a little while? Trying to sleep at night was bing foolishness because I would remain awake, haunted by the pull of her hands in my hair and painfully semi erect all night. Perhaps, it would be different in daytime. I slipped under the bed covers andid on my side, falling into a daydream.


    She was lying beside me, too close forfort. I could not smell her but I could feel her presence, could not open my eyes but could see her with my eyes closed. Her red streaks spilled onto my pillow and her breath was my oxygen. My groin ached deliciously but not enough to get hard. She ced her fingers over my heart and yed with the dark hairs s**d unevenly on my chest.


    ¡°I want you closer,¡± she beckoned, crooking a finger at me, her voice husky and smoky. The sweet pain below my belt increased as I followed her directive. When I was closer, she bit down on my earlobe, forcing a groan out of me.


    ¡°Find me,¡± she mocked me, herst words before I jumped out of the agonizing daydream. My bed was soaked with the sweat dripping off my back and I searched the room for an unseen intruder. My nap was ruined and I had not even closed my eyes for up to ten minutes. Goddess, how long could I go on before I lost my mind?


    Chapter Comments

 CHAPTER 14

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    <b>CHAPTER </b>14- <b>PERSONAL </b><b>PURG</b>


    <b>VENUS</b>


    I stood awkwardly with the other girls who also came for the same job as I. They were a few guys too but the majority was female. We were put in the waiting room and as time flew by, the awkward atmosphere faded and the girls began to discuss among themselves. I was content to sit and listening, learning names and facts about Plum Paradise. Three girls sitting beside me were already engaged in an


    argument<b>.</b>


    ¡°I heard that some parts of the pce are offlimits to servants. I bet they are hiding some sort of creature there<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>a pimple¨Cfaced girl with blonde fringes decided <b>for </b>herself. Another girl with cropped dark hair scoffed, prepared to argue the assumption.


    she t


    ¡°It¡¯s t


    probably the Alpha King¡¯s hiding ce. My mother worked here before she found her mate and told me <b>she </b>usually heard the King tearing apart histest victim. He feeds on flesh and cannot stand the daylight. That¡¯s why he never leaves his room.¡±


    ¡°April!¡± a sharp <b>voice </b><b>snapped </b>at thest speaker. It was <b>a </b>small boned young woman, older than most of us in the room. Her dark hair <b>was </b><b>in </b><b>a </b>sensible bun piled on top of her <b>head</b>. ¡°Be <b>careful </b>about


    the things you say. For all we know, they could be watching us and don¡¯t start twisting the things Mother said to suit your wild imagination.¡±


    April pouted, folding her arms across her chest stubbornly. ¡°You weren¡¯t there when she told me<b>.</b>


    Why else would the powerful Alpha King keep himself hidden in his room. <b>Yes</b><b>, </b>tell us, Edna, <b>since </b>you know everything.¡±


    ¡°To keep inquisitive little girls like you from pestering him, of course<b>,</b>¡± Edna fired back without missing a beat. April pursed her lips although it was obvious that she was not pleased with her sister. The other girls eyed the older sister<b>, </b>previously enjoying April¡¯s stories<b>.</b>


    I pondered on April¡¯sst question however. Why indeed would a powerful king <b>hide </b>himself from


    his subjects? It didn¡¯t make sense. He could attend my sister¡¯s wedding in a faraway pack but refused to show his face to his people.


    ¡°Anyways,¡± Blonde Fringes continued, determined to keep the discussion from getting cold, ¡°I was


    born <b>and </b>raised here in Plum Paradise and <b>the </b>Alpha King has never addressed us himself. He <b>uses </b>middlemen, mostly his Beta. Perhaps he is too beastly or terrible looking. What do you think?¡±


    It took two <b>seconds </b>before <b>I </b>realized <b>that </b>the girl was seeking my opinion. What could I say? I was a stranger and did not know anything about the object of their discussion. Before I could <b>make </b><b>a </b>fool of myself, April came to my rescue.N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°There is nothing to think. If he had nothing wrong with him, he would stand before <b>us </b>instead of sending intermediaries. What does he have to <b>hide</b><b>?</b>¡±


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    CHAPTER 14 ¨C PERSONAL PURG


    Her question hung in the air and I shrugged, having no answer once again. She prodded at my ribs, wanting my attention.


    ¡°You are awfully quiet. Are <b>you </b>nervous about the job?¡± April asked, merely out of curiosity. She could not possibly be worried about someone she had just met.


    ¡°<b>I </b>need this job and yes, I am a bit nervous and to be honest, all this talk about how horrible the Alpha King could be is not <b>helping</b>.¡± My nerves were jumpy <b>and </b>my eyes <b>were </b>fixed <b>on </b>the heavily


    crafted wooden door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be. We might never meet him anyways. I¡¯m April by the way<b>. </b><b>This </b>is my friend, Jess and the annoying girl sitting some seats behind <b>us </b>is my older sister, Edna.¡± <b>She </b>paused, waiting for me to introduce myself. It was not everyday people were interested in knowing who I was and her fixed


    attention was new<b>.</b>


    ¡°I¡¯m <b>Venus</b>, but you can call me Vee.¡±


    Jess pushed her fringes away, looking me over suspiciously. ¡°I literally know everyone in <b>Plum </b>Paradise and I can swear that I have never <b>met </b>you. Are you from another pack?¡±


    Dan¡¯s warning shed in my memory, keeping me on my toes. Everyone turned to me, waiting for my reply. Suddenly, the heavy doors were pushed open by a set of guards and a woman walked in, her hands sped behind her. I could not guess her age because her wless, milky skin glowed, setting off her auburn coloured <b>hair </b>falling down her straight back. She managed to escape the freckles that gued redheads, her shoulders high and projecting herself like an empress. Everyone paled inparison to her light and when she spoke, it bounced off the walls,


    ¡°Wee to the Paradise Pce,¡± she said, as a way of greeting. ¡°I am Prefect Naomi Ward, the


    head of servants.¡±


    Her eyes floated from one person to another and slowly, we rose to show her respect. Acknowledging our wisdom, she nodded slightly, a humourless smile on her tiny lips.


    ¡°You all are here for the same <b>reason</b>: to <b>get </b>a job as a servant. However, we only need ten of you. Therefore, a test will be conducted to determine the best ten. You were already given some time to catch your breaths so the test shall begin immediately.¡±


    Lucky for <b>me</b>, Dan had warned me about the test but it did not help the growing anxiety in my belly. I jammed my palms together and rubbed slowly. I was at a great disadvantage to everyone else in the room. I was wolfless and so if it was a test of strength, there was no way I would win. A test of intelligence would favour me but who knew what Prefect Naomi had in mind?


    The guards made us form two files <b>and </b>I stood behind April, whose excitement was beginning to wear off on me. She was talking to me, barely able to remain <b>still</b>.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± I whispered to her and she shook her head.


    2/3


    CHAPTER 14 PERSONAL PURG


    ¡°Nope. My wolf is strong and I am confident about my skills. Besides, showing fear would make you look weak. However, don¡¯t try to do too much. I have a feeling Prefect Naoml is hard to please.¡±


    Her brave words went straight to my heart and I drew strength from her courage. Worse case scenario, I would not get the job. It wouldn¡¯t kill me and I could always apply again some time Inter.


    Once we were outside in an open field, Naomil started by stating the instructions for the test.


    ¡°In this field are ten pieces of the symbol of the Plum Paradise Treasure. Only those who find a piece are eligible to work at the Paradise Pce. Don¡¯t bother looking for clues because only true pack members would know what to look out for. Using this method, we will discover strangers parading <b>as </b><b>pack </b>members,¡±


    I <b>saw </b>people grinning, while some bit down on their lips in worry. I obviously wasn¡¯t the only stranger and that exined why most of them said nothing to contribute to the argument carlier. It was both anxiety and ignorance. Jess put on her serious face, exchanging secret smiles with April. They <b>were </b>good to go while I was in my personal purgatory. I had no idea what the Plum Paradise Treasure was supposed to look like. I was doomed.


    ¡°You all have only twenty minutes. Your time s


    and fired a shot.


    now.¡± She pointed a small pistol to the skies


    Chapter Comments


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 CHAPTER 15

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 15 BIG BAG OF SECRETS


    ¨C


    VENUSBelongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    The sound of the gunshot was less noisy than themotion within me. It did not allow me to notice that I was the only one who had not moved an inch. Everyone else had run into the field, kicking up dust in their determination to find a piece. I snapped out of my thoughts and I joined the search. I could see April pulling stumps out of her way, disying her strength. She was not someone I could beat in a fist fight.


    ¡°I found one!¡± someone eximed from somewhere and dashed towards Prefect Naomi to submit her piece. It was ced on a tray and I did not get to see what it looked like. How funny was it, searching for something you had never seen before? Another person screamed and returned with another piece. With every shout of joy, my hope died and I was ready to give up.


    April found the sixth one, a big smile on her excited face. She stuck her tongue at her cold older sister, Edna, who was yet to find anything. As she passed by me, she shed the piece at me, winking secretly. It was purple with two stripes of orange and I stopped to think. I had seen that somewhere before but where? Another piece was found, with just three. Jess pulled out the eighth one from a heap of sand, howling with victory. My palms were damp and I racked through my memory, trying to remember where I had seen a symbol with colours like that.


    Then it dawned on me: it had been on a suitcase in the suite of the man I had kissed. While I had been looking for a ce to drop the ss of wine, I had seen it but had not paid much attention to it. Now only two pieces were left and many of us had not not found any piece. I got back into the game, pulling detached branches out of my way. A young boy found the ninth one, waving it as he ran. It was orange with blue stripes. Edna frowned at me, frustrated that her little sister had bested her.


    The sun was harsh and I mopped sweat off my brows continuously. Searching blindly for thest piece, my foot kicked against a stump and I screamed in pain, grabbing hold of my foot. It caused me to stumble backwards, falling on my a** in a heap. No one was interested in helping me and tears gathered in my eyes. I angrily wiped them away, disgusted at myself. I had to get up or someone would get thest treasure piece.


    Lifting myself stubbornly, I applied as little weight as I could on the injured foot, aware that I was bleeding. I dragged the leg along, wincing whenever the pain became unbearable. Something was stuck in my old sandals, slicing into the wound and pulling it out meant more bleeding. Finally, onest scream was heard and my shoulders fell, choking on the tears I refused to shed. The ten pieces had been found and because I had not found any, it was the end of the journey for me.


    ¡°Gather together,¡± Naomi ordered and I wobbled to where she sat, not really interested in what she had to say. I had sustained an Injury yet I would go home without a job. Once we had gathered around her, a maid brought the tray to her and she examined the contents with a sweep of hershes. Suddenly, she frowned, picking out a broken piece. It was the orange piece with blue stripes and I remembered seeing that piece.


    1/3


    CHAPTER 15 BIG BAG OF SECRETS


    ?


    ¡°Who dropped this in here? Who found this?¡± she asked, looking from face to face.


    The boy who had found it came forward reluctantly, curious eyes staring at him. ¡°It was me, prefect. Is something wrong with it?¡±


    ¡°There is everything wrong with between her


    it,¡± Naomi countered, frowning at him. The chip was two first fingers.


    ¡°It is not part of the ten pieces. This is an ordinary soldiers¡¯ badge. There is one more piece remaining.¡±


    Sighs filled in the air and the remaining contenders rushed back to the field. I could not move an inch and closing my eyes tight, I pulled on the ss chunk stuck in my foot only that it wasn¡¯t ss. It was a wooden chip, small and covered with my blood. It was purple with a single band of orange and a weeugh escaped my lips. I had found thest piece or more truthfully, it had found me.


    I raised the b**dy chip above my head at Naomi, a shaky grin on my lips. ¡°I found it!¡±


    Sit still,¡± Fitzwilliam, the pce doctor warned me as he dabbed at my injury with cotton wool. soaked in antiseptics. He allowed me wrap my fingers around his upper arm, my teeth gnashed as I tried to suppress a cry. He was too built to be just a doctor, the muscle under my fingers well formed.


    ¡°You are not just a doctor, are you?¡± I questioned him, anything to get my mind off the pain.


    still.¡±


    ¡°I am many things, miss,¡± he replied without taking his eyes off my foot. ¡°Now, really try to stay


    He was on one knee and swiftly lifted the injured foot on a nearby stool. He kept pushing a brown lock of hair away from his face. His wolf would have the same colour for its fur, a normal urrence for


    wolves.


    After a minute of dabbing and murmuring, he let go of my leg and sat back on his bent knee. Confusion drew his brows together and he quickly scribbled something into a small book.


    ¡°I just don¡¯t understand. You are a werewolf and although you lost a good amount of blood, you are supposed to be healing by now. Why is the wound still fresh and not stitching together already? Have


    you been starving yourself?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± to say. I bit down on my lower lip to stop myself from


    was all I could muster the cou telling him everything, how I had lost connection with my wolf and how much vulnerable I really was. He looked like someone who was used to keeping a lot of secrets. However, he would have to report to Naomiter on. If they found out that I was wolfless and equally a stranger, I could kiss my new job. goodbye and probably be banned from Plum Paradise forever.


    2/3


    CHAPTER 15 BIG BAG OF SECRETS


    ¡°You are hiding something and it will not do you any good. I can¡¯t help you unless I know what the problem is.¡±


    Slowly, I put my foot down literally, pushing the pain to the back of my mind. There was no way I could trust anyone. Dan and his sister already knew too much.


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Doc but I¡¯ll take it from here now. Maybe if I had some rest, I would get my strength back and the healing process would be faster. I have to go. I am to resume my new job


    here tomorrow.¡±


    I limped away to my freedom, feeling his eyes still on my back like a dead target. There was no use dwelling on the injury. It had been for a good cause and I had a job along with a big

 CHAPTER 16

    * CHAPTER 16 ¨C PP69


    VENUS


    Work resumed the very next day and I stood with the nine others, once again waiting for Naomi to show up it seemed she enjoyed keeping us waiting but my foot was killing me. The previous day, we had been dismissed so that we could inform our families about our new job. I went to Emmaline¡¯s house and she helped me redress the wound after I had taken a hot


    However, the aches were back, my


    feet feeling swollen and heavy.


    There were seven girls including me and three boys. Every now and then, April would wink at me secretly. She had been impressive on the field and I had not gotten another chance to talk to her. Her friend, Jess wasughing with her over a joke I was too far to hear and the blonde had a quiet beauty. They appeared to be very good friends and that only reminded me of how alone I was.


    The opening of the great doors announced Naomi¡¯s arrival and I tried to wobble onto my feet despite how painful it was to stand on the swollen foot. Guards escorted her like she was some princess, nking her every side. The other nine stood as well, the previous smiling faces now grim and serious.


    Naomi was in a simple white dress but her elegance shone through anyways. Her eyes searched each of our faces, her chilly blue eyes pining everyone with a stare.


    ¡°Good morning, everyone,¡± she greeted, raising her voice enough to be heard.


    ¡°Good morning, Prefect Naomi,¡± we chorused and I could tell that our response pleased her by the slight tilt of her head and the brief shutting of her eyes. When she opened them again, they were clear


    and heated.


    ¡°Congrattions to you for scaling through our exercise yesterday. Some of you used your knowledge, some their quick feet and a few of you were merely lucky. However, luck will not secure you a permanent position in the Paradise Pce. There are rules here that are to be followed to the letter. Any insubordination and you will be thrown out faster than your feet can touch the ground. I will lead an excursion. Follow closely.¡±


    She spun around, the guards spanning out to create an imprable wall around us. I was at the rear end, having trouble with walking. April deliberately walked slow until she and I were side by side. She offered me assistance silently by throwing my arm around her shoulders and carrying my weight for me. The guard behind me frowned but said nothing. We moved on, me mouthing my thanks and April smiling in reply.


    ¡°I cannot show you the whole pce today because I have other business to attend to. So, I will highlight the important rules you are never to forget.¡± She pointed to the floor above us with a finger. ¡°Number one rule, the upper floor is offlimits to all s**ts and you are not to even go near the stairs. on the penalty of death. The only one allowed up there is¡­¡± she paused, her lips thin in disdain, ¡°..Matilda. She is the Alpha King¡¯s personal attendant and you all will meet her sometime soon.¡±


    1/3


    CHAPTER 16 1


    PAN


    Neal, you are the sea and not heard, meaning that, anything you see or hear within these walls chand not wrape these walls. I might not look it but I am very skilled at ripping heads off with the edge of my de.**one will endanger the Alpha King under my watch. There are four MistresSOS under the king¡¯s care. You will be assigned duty posts but if any of the mistresses take interest in you, vw will mutanatically be a personal attendant. The other things, you will learn as you carry on


    You will be referred to by numbers, not names because firstly, of the asion when two people have the same name and rondly, because no one cares enough to actually use your names,¡±


    Immediately, a s**t appeared from somewhere with a steel tray, bearing number buttons, She getured at us to proceed and one by one, wach person went forward to pick a number. When it got to our tum, April picked hers and adjusted so I could have ess to the tray, Naomi frowned at my bad timp and I tried not to make the pain too obvious, Luckily for me, a guard drew nearer and whispered shortly in her ear. While she was distracted, I swiped a button off the tray and April helped me stagger backwards.


    The guard returned to rank, his face mean and hard. Naomi gestured for the tray to be taken away and it was whisked away by the nameless servant.


    Your buttons have different colours and due to that, different tasks, Green buttons work in the garden, reds work in the west wing of the pce, yellows are responsible for kitchen hygiene and blues work in the east wing. Blues will be watched closely because in the east wing are the only stairs to the


    addn


    She paused again, a bright smile suddenly stretching her small lips. ¡°S**ts are treated here much better than in any ce in the world. If you do as instructed, you will have no issues here and you in stay as long as you like. Some se**ts found their mates while working here. Immediately report to your duty posts. You are all dismissed.¡±


    We scrambled around, some trying to make east from west. April¡¯s was a blue button, same as mine but Jess¡¯ was a yellow. She pouted in exaggerated sadness, pulling off an adorable puppy face.


    ¡°All except you, Number PPO, Naomi spoke out of the blue,


    1 frome, looking down on my button although I already knew it was my number. April stopped moring too, wondering what the prefect wanted.


    ¡°You may leave, PP71,¡±


    April was dismissed, patting my shoulder in a show of solidarity. Soon, only I, the prefect and a few guards were left in the hallway/1 could see my reflection in the marble tiles below and I could not recognize myself. My hair was growing out again and I would have to cut it short once more.


    ¡°Yes, Prefect?¡±


    2/3


    CHAPTER 16 PP60


    ¡°I thought the pce doctor saw to your wound yesterday. Why are you still limping? Isn¡¯t your wound healed yet?¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    1 bit down on my lower lip, a habit from childhood, thinking up something to say. She did not waif for me to respond.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t walk properly, I will assign you to the library for today. New books arrivedst week and they need to be arranged ording to genre and section. That won¡¯t be too hard for you, would it?¡±


    ¡°No, it-¡±


    ¡°Well, then,¡± she cut me short,¡± The library is by the third door in the east wing. Wobble away. And PP69, don¡¯t take my lenience for weakness. I can be very scary.¡±


    I sat on a stool, still in awe of the s** library. It was big enough to be an entire house and the mighty wooden shelves stood tall like giants. Thick covers and paperbacks were on every shelf and it was my kind of paradise. The cart of new books was pushed in by a guard who left immediately after he arrived. Rolling my shoulders, I opened the cart and started separating books ording to genre. Each shelf had a genre tag and it made my work a lot easier.


    Out of the blue, I heard the door open and I hurried back to the first room to see who it was. I saw no one and goosebumps spread on my skin. Was the library haunted? I reached for a heavy book to defend myself with but I misjudged the weight and bnced heavily on my bad foot. Crashing to the left, I closed my eyes, anticipating my impact with the ground. However, the ground was warm with hands around my waist.


    ¡°Number PP69,¡± a rough, masculine voice, observed, ¡°you are a clumsy little thing.¡±

 CHAPTER 17

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER <b>17 </b><b>ALPHA </b>IN <b>DISGUISE</b>


    RHYS


    The petite young woman in my arms blinked at me and soon her surprise changed to difort.


    ¡°Let go of me this minute,¡± she demanded, poking a <b>finger </b>into my chest. She frowned when I did notply, wanting to appear menacing. However, It was hard to look tough when she was barely above five feet. I curled my fingers over her own digging a hole in my chest and swiftly helped her stand. She shuffled to a side, favouring her left <b>leg</b>.


    She turned on me <b>as </b>soon as she was settled. ¡°What were you doing in here? Do you think it¡¯s funny, sneaking around and scaring servants, you big oaf?¡±


    Her to


    Her tone shocked me more than it made me angry. Since my childhood, no one had even scolded me, my wisdom revealing itself at an early age. But the female before me was boiling like an old homeroom mistress, ready to whip me into submission. It was a bit amusing.


    ¡°I did not know you were in here. Are you new?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s asking?¡± she challenged, lifting a slim brow.


    ¡°I am the Al- I caught myself in time before I could foolishly expose my identity. I looked down at her, wondering how she had done it. Her green eyes hadpelled me to almost make a fool of myself. Something within me was telling me I could trust her but no <b>one </b>could be trusted, especially women.


    ¡°You are the what?<b>¡± </b>she pounced on my unfinished sentence, leaning her weight against <b>a </b>shelf.N?velDrama.Org exclusive content.


    I suddenly realized that even if I had told her the truth, she wouldn¡¯t have believed. I was dressed. in a pce guard¡¯s uniform, cream shirt with blue hems <b>and </b>blue trousers and cream hems. My hair was bound by a string and hidden under an Arabian turban. A fake scar started from the bottom of my ear till the crook in my jaw.


    ¡°I am just a pce guard. Interesting button number,¡± Imented, a form of dry humour. She nced at her button and narrowed her eyes, probably cursing me mentally.


    ¡°It was not a choice. Now leave. I have a lot of work to do and you would only get in my way.¡±


    She did it again, telling me off like I was a disobedient schoolboy. Her curly blonde hair had been savagely cut and I suspected that she had done it herself. It was starting to curl at the ends, barely touching her corbone. Subconsciously, I reached out to put a wayward lock of hair behind her ear but she stiffened and moved away from reach.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. Touch. Me. I asked you to leave,¡± she reminded me but her voice was not as strong as it <b>was </b>previously. She bit down on her lower lip and licked it quickly, a gesture I found very familiar. I could


    CHAPTER 17¨CALPHA IN DISGUISE


    not gauge any emotions from her. Was she scared, ufortable, or aroused? Her hands were steady but her big green eyes were saying a different story.


    ¡°Why <b>don¡¯t </b>you ask me nicely to stay and keep youpany?¡± I wasn¡¯t aware of when I closed the gap between us and raised my gaze to the top of the shelf she was leaning on. ¡°You are neither tall enough to reach the top of the shelf nor are you strong enough to use the librarydder. I could be of help to you but only if you ask nicely.¡±


    She straightened her back, her hands on either <b>side </b>of her <b>face</b>. Her chest <b>rose </b><b>and </b>fell with every breath she took and it drew my attention to <b>the </b>cleft in her bosom. ¡°I¡¯d rather take my <b>chances </b>with the


    Not wanting to make unnecessary contact with me, she moved sideways out of the bracket of my arms <b>and </b><b>I </b>was tempted to pull her back in. I relented, watching her return to her task. She pushed the book cart and I followed silently. When she noticed me trailing her<b>, </b>she chose to <b>ignore </b>me, <b>humming </b>a tune at the back of her throat. I picked up a hardcover and she immediately smacked my hands off it. It


    fell to the ground with a noisy thud.


    ¡°I won¡¯t forgive your disrespect of a ssic. Shakespeare would turn in his grave if he saw <b>the </b>way


    you just treated <b>his </b>bestseller,¡± I teased her with feigned seriousness. I <b>scooped </b>the book off the hard floor and searched for the shelf for its genre. She mumbled something under <b>her </b>breath that my ears did


    not catch.


    ¡°What did <b>you </b><b>say</b><b>?</b><b>¡±</b>


    ¡°I said only fools with a dead sense of humour would appreciate Shakespearean books. I prefer practical writers like Jane Austen and James Patterson. Also, I don¡¯t remember saying you could touch anything.¡±


    She tried to snatch the book from my hands but I was quicker, lifting it far above her head.


    ¡°Childish prick,¡± she swore colourfully and pushed the cart onwards. I found the ssics shelf and slid the book onto it. She wiped dust off old books <b>and </b>slipped in new ones dutifully. Her soft tune had changed to something more familiar. I joined her in the murmuring of the chorus of How Did You Get Here, stacking books inpanionable silence.


    ¡°So you like <b>reading </b><b>then</b><b>?</b>¡± I attempted to begin another conversation, not <b>sure </b>if <b>she </b>would take


    the bait.


    ¡°I do,¡± <b>she </b>answered after a minute. ¡°<b>What</b>, <b>are </b>servants not supposed to be literate?¡±


    She was on <b>the </b>defense again, looking for a fight, a misced word or <b>an </b>insult in between.


    ¡°Why did you cut your hair?¡± I <b>chose </b>another random topic again, throwing her off bnce. Her hands automatically went up to her head, tracing her scalp with dusty fingers.


    CHAPTER 17 ALPHA IN DISGUISE


    ¡°I wanted to try a ck Widow look but it turned out wrong.¡± It was obviously a joke but she was notughing. At least, the had not denied <b>that </b>she had cut it herself.


    You also like Marvel then? I don¡¯t see the appeal. DC is more organized. You would make a lovely Wonder Woman.¡±


    PP69 snorted, rolling her eyes in disapproval. ¡°DC, organized? You wish. They have more male characters and I think it¡¯s very sexist of them. Furthermore, real heroes are the ones who created something out of themselves, not superficial boy toys who were born with theirs. Don¡¯t get started on Wonder Woman.¡±


    ¡°At least, we get our story right, Spiderman first could shoot web from his wrists. Then, in the remake, he couldn¡¯t. The next remake was even more terrible. Ironman is just a spoilt rich brat wrapped up in expensive scrap metal,¡±


    She turned on me at that and was in my face in a second. ¡°Take that back!¡±


    ¡°Make me,¡± I replied, grinning at her provocation. She swung a fist out of the blue and hit me square in the lungs, knocking the wind out of me. I fought the urge to double over, groaning. She stepped aside and held her hands to her <b>face</b>, expecting my


    lot about her. She was used to getting beaten, a probable.ation. The Involuntary reaction said a


    of domestic abuse<b>.</b>


    I wrapped my hand around both of her wrists and brought her to me. She gasped, <b>a </b>soft intimate sound that made her throat jump. The cart was empty, her work faster because of


    my assistance.


    ¡°Apologize,¡± I ordered, not minding to rx my Alpha voice. I cared less at that point.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said at once, shifting restlessly in my grip.


    ¡°For?¡± I tightened my hold on her <b>and </b>she winced.


    ¡°For this.¡± She brought her knee between my legs and sessfully aimed for my groin. My grip loosened <b>and </b>this time, I doubled over, clutching my aching genitals. Not looking back to see the extent of the damage she had caused, she limped out of the library to safety.


    I rubbed at the sore, breathing through the nose. The little thing had a sharp knee and a badass aim. Suddenly, my hands froze on my groin, feeling something else. I did not need to peep under the waistband of my boxer briefs because the evidence was there. I was hard <b>and </b>painfully erect<b>.</b>


    Chapter Comments


    POST C

 CHAPTER 18

    A Kiss With The Alpha King.


    CHAPTER 18 LITTLE MIRACLES


    RHYS


    1 sat on my bed, my legs spread, breathing In and out heavily. My erection had gone down eventually and a dull ache was all that was remaining. I had earlier gone to the library with hopes of being alone and instead, had stumbled upon a minx. My ns of reading quietly had gone out theBelonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    window.


    What was it about that **t that had made me want to bare my secrets? Her eyes were hard and her lips soft, a weedbination. She was rude, had an offensive mouth and tried to be intimidating when I was bigger and stronger. I didn¡¯t remember her touching me at any point but my phallus had thought otherwise.


    She had made me shamefully hard without even touching me and I didn¡¯t know how I felt about that. If I had spent more time with her in that library, it would have led to something else. Her smart mouth would be of better use around me, her confident fingers wrapped around my thickness.


    A body wracking shiver ran down my body at the thought and I squeezed my eyes tight, riding the erotic waves. My throat was tight with emotions and I had to get off somehow. The friction of the sheets on my bed rubbed against my ns and my back arched into the sweet sensation. It was not enough to get me off but I wanted to feel something, anything.


    Iid down, my back pping loudly on the sheets. My disguise was in shreds by the time I hade into the room, my skin too hot to amodate clothes. I needed to shift and burn off the excess


    energy but Czar was not in agreement. I had never m**d before, seeing no point because it had never worked in the past. However, I was ready to try it if it would bring me some relief.


    My eyes slipped shut and I rxed, bringing back the image of her disapproving face. Her green eyes were filled with hate when I insulted Marvel and her full lips pouted in annoyance. My hands. cradled my groin, my thumb roughly rubbing at the broad head of my shaft. I gasped, my thighs shaking from the tension in them and my a** flew off the bed.


    I would have kissed her, sucked on that rebellious lower lip until she submitted to my hunger. No one had ever treated me the way she had but it only made me want to know her more. I wanted to know


    her in every possible way, in as that. How she tasted between her legs, how loud and long she would scream if I pressed my tongue against her soft, wet core, everything was a mystery.


    I stroked roughly in my palm with only my thoughts as stimtion. Sweat dripped down my chest, gathering in the depth of my navel and overspilling down my legs. PP69 had green eyes, blonde hair and¡­.no scent. The realization had me bolting upright, still cupping my balls. I could not sniff out nuances in her emotions because she had no scent, exactly like the girl that hade into my room in wride Pack.


    But Red Streaks had, well, red streaks in her hair and PP69 didn¡¯t. Or did she and had cut it off?


    1/3


    CHAPTER 18 LITTLE MIRACLES


    Endless possibilities sprang out and I was no longer interested in pleasuring myself. My brain was working when I beard a heavy thod downstairs followed by feminine screams. Anger overrode pleasure


    and I reached for my phone, dialing the only number on it


    ¡°Yes, Alpha¡± Mars replied at once. I went straight to the point.


    ¡°Go to my h**m and know what the problem is. I would not tolerate any more petty arguments


    between the mistresses. Don¡¯t I deserve some peace and quiet in my own pce?¡±


    Mars sighed in the speaker, sounding tired. ¡°I will do what you have said. I apologize on their behalf


    for disturbing your rest.¡±


    I tossed my phone aside after ending the call, content to close my eyes and imagine. But the bad came with the good. My bed wasrge enough for an Alpha and a Luna, not that I needed one butpanionship could not be that bad. It did not have to be about love and if PP69 could bring me to an erection after one meeting, she was just the type of person I needed.


    VENUS


    There was no way he could be a normal guard. The stranger who had osted her in the library had been too bold and brash to be amon pce guard. He could be part of my test but if he was, I would have probably failed when I had punched him in the sr plexus and again by nailing him between his legs.


    Despite his uniform, I could tell he was amanding person, his voice as rough as two stones mmed together. Up close to him, his back had absorbed most of the light, making it difficult to


    determine the colour of his eyes. He was built like a tank, thick and formidable, his chin hardening whenever he was ready to argue.


    An annoying b**d was what he was but he was entertaining. He knew how to draw words out of my mouth even when I had warned myself to ignore him. He hade in handy as he had told me initially but then, I had not actually asked him to help. He walked like a jaguar, poised for a fight or an


    obstacle.


    I walked to my small window, watching the activities down there. Maybe idle gazing would rid the image of the sexy stranger out of my mind. Soon, I found myself unconsciouslyparing him with other guards. There was no one like him and my thoughts immediately flew to our episode in the library, how he would have kissed me if I had allowed it. But I had not, cutting through our moment with a hard knee.


    Boredom was making me think idle thoughts. I had to get busy, maybe learn about the mistresses and the elusive Alpha King. Many people had many things to say about him and listening to them, you


    CHAPTER 18-LITTLE MIRACLES


    hate a creature you knew nothing about.


    An electric bell on my small table rang in the silence. It was time for lunch and we were to assemble in the great hall for a head count. April had left me a soothing ointment for my injury and it was feeling better. On my way to the hall, I ran into Dan who smiled once he saw it was just me.


    ¡°There you are!¡± he eximed. ¡°I haven¡¯t set my eyes on you today before now and we are supposed to be working in the same ce.¡±


    ¡°I saw you yesterday at Emmaline¡¯s house. It¡¯s been mere hours.¡± I remembered where I had initially been headed but Dan¡¯s hand on my forearm was holding me to a spot.


    ¡°Was there something else, Dan?¡±


    He actually blushed, a grown man of thirty two blushing because of me. Little miracles.


    ¡°So Emmaline said this may be too early for me to tell-you this and she may be right. However, I want to go with my gut. Vee, I have only known you for less than a week but I think I have feelings for


    you.¡± pter Comments

 CHAPTER 19

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 19 ¨C ALPHA¡¯S PROXY


    VENUS


    I was immediately taken back by his confession. I had expected anything but this talk about feelings. Not that I had not noticed his subtle admiration of me, but I had hoped that was all to it. My wide-eyed reaction to his sudden confession prompted him to continue.


    won¡¯t want you to


    ¡°I think that I only agreed to help you because of my own selfish Interests. I just.


    you to know, Gosh, maybe Emmaline was right, after all. You look tense like I asked you to


    donate a vital **n.¡±


    He sighed deeply, his shoulders rising and falling in line with his troubled breath. I felt sorry for him and I had no wish to lead him on with false promises. I took his hand, the contact not too intimate but enough to hold his attention. I was runningte for lunch but I had to handle the present problem first.


    ¡°Maybe she is right. I am so grateful for all your help, taking me off the streets and finding me at job. Your sister opened her home to a stranger and I might not be able to pay you back. However, I am sort of getting over a bad rtionship and I don¡¯t think my heart is ready yet.¡±


    He was silent, merely staring into my eyes. Dan was lost, consumed by his emotions. Why did the heart always ruin good things? I was really hoping he and I could be good friends but he had gotten his heart involved in a simple matter.


    ¡°I understand,¡± he finally said, slowly lowering his eyes to the ground. ¡°I will wait. I will be here whenever you need me, until you want me.¡±


    Instead of squashing his dreams, I nodded absentmindedly and squeezed his palm gently. He squeezed back and I hurried along, giving him a small wave. Other servants stood in the great hall, new faces and old, all in a straight file. Naomi was absent but a tough looking woman sat behind a counter, frowning over a set of dinner tes. Soon, the line started moving and each person was given a deep ceramic bowel and a tea mug.


    Angry voices suddenly erupted from a room close by, followed by loud curses and screams. The old s**ts working in the pce before us were probably used to the disturbance from the nonchnce on their faces. The door to the great hall was left open and I looked back in time to see a man walk past


    the door.


    He has


    had rusty auburn hair and something about the riotous curls reminded me of someone I had seen before. He had not stopped long enough for me to see his face but his charisma and the power in his walk rang a bell. My curiosity was piqued and my eyes were fixed to the door.


    ¡°Next!¡± the lunchdy bellowed and I was jolted out of my reverie. I was next and I presented my bowl to her, my mind far, far away.


    1/3


    CHAPTER 19-ALPHA¡¯S PROXY


    MARS


    The two mistresses disturbing the entire Paradise Pce yelled at each other, not intimidated by my presence.


    ¡°You b**h!¡± Lana cursed, narrowing her heated eyes. ¡°The Alpha King does not need dead bodies like yours im his bed. He needs a capable woman like me at all times.¡±N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°But you were with him yesterday and the day before that. Why won¡¯t you let the rest of us enjoy our time with him?¡± Henrietta replied, throwing up her hands in exasperation.


    ¡°Is it my fault he enjoys mypany so much? Should I be med because the Alpha King is in love with me?¡±


    Henriettaughed shortly, sounding more like she was mocking Lana. ¡°The Alpha King, in love with you? If he loves you so much as you im, why hasn¡¯t he made you his Luna and sent us away?¡±


    held


    Lana charged at her like an angry bull but I her back, aware of how dangerous she could be. Lana was the daughter of an old Alpha while Henrietta was just the daughter of a popr healer. Given the chance, Lana would tear her to bits, the fearless woman that she was. Henrietta was more reserved and kept to herself that I was surprised when I discovered it was her who had stood up to Lana.


    ¡°Enough!¡± I raised my voice to maintain order. ¡°The Alpha King has made his choice for tonight. He wants Mistress Lana. If you have a problem with his decision making, Mistress Henrietta, feel free toin to him next time you have the chance.¡±


    epting that she had lost that battle, Henrietta frowned and stamped her feet all the way to her private chambers. Lana on the other hand was smiling happily, basking in her small victory.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for tonight to be in my lover¡¯s arms,¡± she crooned, her previously angry eyes


    pups cool and dreamy. I adjusted myself in my trousers as I watched her return to her room. I couldn¡¯t wait for nightfall either.


    Funny enough, the Alpha King had neither slept with Lana or just decided to enjoy herpany. Those actions were of my own doing. Lana was rash, swore like a navy sailor but she was devastatingly


    beautiful. The only woman who could have held a candle to her beauty was Luna Serena, the Alpha¡¯s mother. However, Serena had ruined her legacy by cheating on our old Alpha.


    Lana, on the other hand was everything I wanted in a woman. She was smart, intelligent and argued battle strategies like a general. She could fight and use the sword skillfully. Nevertheless, she had her eyes out only for the Alpha King, never giving me her attention. I was just ¡°some Beta that had the privilege of speaking with the Alpha King directly,¡± her words exactly. Instead of moving on from my hopeless dreams, I fell deeper in love with her.


    2/3


    CHAPTER 19 ALPHA¡¯S PROXY


    When night came, I washed myself properly, preparing myself for a goddess, She would already he In the Pleasure room, blindfolded and ready for me. My wolf, Rhode pined for her and hastened my preparations. Clothes were not important but so as not to be caught nude, I kept my boxer briefs on.


    Immediately I entered the room, the scent of her body lotion filled my nostrils and my foins ached with hot need. She was on her back, a scarlet napkin covering her eyes. As protocol, I made sure the blindfold was thick enough to keep her from seeing anything. She pouted and dragged her sharp nails down my chest slowly till they stopped just below my navel.


    I peeled off my briefs, wanting to feel her tanned skin against mine. Pushing her onto her back, she made a provocative sound at the back of her throat and my brain melted. I couldn¡¯t say a word or make a sound but my hands shook as they traced the sweet lines of her delicious body.


    ¡°I want you Inside, Alpha. I have been dying all day without your touch,¡± she admitted, shivering as my hands made their way to her mould. She had recently s**d because it was not so smooth the previous day. Her legs fell open and she rode my fingers alone, screaming until her whole body shook with the pleasure I was giving her.


    ¡°Please, more, give me more.¡± She thrashed around when I withdrew my fingers, tasting her s**y release. My shaft was rocky hard but I made sure she went off as least twice before I kept between her legs. Her thighs immediately wrapped around my waist, showing how much she wanted me.


    Not you, Rhode reminded me, she thinks you are the Alpha King, remember?


    I didn¡¯t care about who she thought was having sex with her. Bottom line was it was me between her legs and I closed my eyes, allowing myself to imagine. As I made every thrust, I wanted to rip apart the blindfold and see her amber eyes when she came for the third time. Instead, I covered her mouth with mine, m**g her scream of climax, music to my ears.

 CHAPTER 20

    A Kiss With The Alpha King


    CHAPTER 20 NEED A LUNA


    RHYS


    The days were drawing nearer to the deadline I had given to wride Pack but my mind was elsewhere. Since the events at the library, I had note across PP69 again. On more than one asion, I was tempted to s**r some books in there so that someone would have toe arrange them, hopefully her. However, I did not because firstly, it would be childish and secondly, someone else might be assigned and it would make it all for nothing.


    I sulked for weeks, hiding my new discovery from Mars and Matilda. My old caregiver was worried about me but chose not to bother me with questions. I would c**k when I was ready but I preferred to have at least one secret from her. She knew me too well and it was weird sometimes.


    When it was a week to my deadline, I contacted the guards I had left behind in wride Pack for updates on their search.


    ¡°I am very sorry, Master but we have found nothing yet. We do not have much to go on with anymore. ording to your orders, we assembled all the females in the pack, single and married alike. Using your description of the missing girl, we screened them all but came up with nothing. The closest person to that description is old and married, definitely not the girl you seek. I am


    n sorry.¡±


    I was not as angry as I thought I should be. It was not their fault that I had forgotten to get the girl¡¯s name. It could have gone a long way in finding her. Then I realized something. I had also not asked S**nt PP69 for her real name. What was wrong with me?


    ¡°Continue to be diligent in your search, Emery. You will receive supplies through Mars. Keep your eyes and ears open. Once a month is up, you are to bring me a girl.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Master,¡± Emery replied ordingly.


    The phone went dead and I slipped it into my pocket. It was a cloudy morning, the cool breeze shaking my window shutters. My nkets were cold and it was on days like this that I felt the loneliness. the most. My penis hung asid as a noodle in my shorts, without any surge of excitement. I had tried getting it up but my thoughts of PP69 were beginning to fade.


    It was her hand I wanted jacking me to a noisy, dirty finish and my own big palm was not doing a good job in that department. When my shaft remained uncooperative, I took a bath and put my disappointment behind me. I was better off not thinking about it. Instead, I found an unfinished bottle of rum under my bed and attacked it with a ss.


    Someone knocked on my door and I was toozy to get up from my stomach.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± I groaned, my words m**d by my sheets.


    1/3


    CHAPTER 20 NEED A LUNA


    ¡°It¡¯s Matilda,¡±


    I wanted to be alone to feel sorry for myself but I could not send her away.


    ¡°Come in then.¡±


    Matilda let herself in, immediately scanning the environment. She was carrying a trayden with food and ced it on a small coffee table. The smell of the food filled the atmosphere and I sat up against my will, leaning towards the ss of rum sitting on my desk.


    Tilly tutted in disapproval and shook her head. I stopped halfway but in a sudden rush of defiance, I picked it up and gulped it down in one go. I was no gentleman and I was not going to pretend to be


    what I wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°Good morning, Alpha. I see you have picked up the habit of having a drink before a meal again.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± I retorted, eyeing the whole bottle like it was a nude, busty woman.


    Knowing my intentions, she s**d up the bottle and walked calmly to the bathroom. I heard the contents going down the toilet followed by the sound of flushing. She came back and sat down without asking me for permission, eyeballing me fiercely. Tilly was more or less my mother and I let her get away with a lot of things I would kill others for. Digging my hand behind my pillow, I pulled out another full bottle of rum and nursed it close to my chest.


    ¡°Why are you here, Tilly?¡±


    She dragged her eyes away from the bottle and pushed the tray towards me. Tilly was in charge of my personal care. She cooked for me, cleaned my room and ordered my medicine as soon as the old ones finished. Some were not exactly finished I had flushed them down the toilet- but she did not


    have to know that.


    She had made toast, scrambled eggs and vored tea. Goddess knew what root she had added to the but it was usually mixed with some new recipe for virility. I was hungry so I ate, waiting for her to state her business.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    ¡°The people are talking, my Lord and it is not good.¡±


    I continued eating, familiar with her excessive love for suspense. When she was ready, she would tell me everything. She was clearly not bothered by my nonchnce, building momentum for whatever she was about to say.


    ¡°It is past time for you to find Luna, my Lord. You must find one and mate with her before the people lose faith in you.¡±


    My fork ttered against my te, her words unwee to my ears.


    2/3


    CHAPTER 20 ¨C NEED A LUNA


    ¡°I must? Under whose orders?¡± I demanded to know, abandoning my breakfast. Tilly was


    unperturbed by my anger, her expression neutral and serious.


    ¡°Any strong Alpha needs a Luna to bnce him, to share responsibilities with him and to bring him peace. I was hoping that by now, you would have chosen one of your mistresses for the job. Any one of them should do. You don¡¯t have to necessarily love her.¡±


    What nonsense was she saying? The people I led needed me and me alone to guide them. It was true that I was a bit too young but my aplishments had proven otherwise. Moreover, how could I keep a woman I couldn¡¯t gain pleasure from? It would be another form of torture.


    ¡°You know why I don¡¯t have a Luna, Tilly,¡± was all I said and all the fight left her body. Her motherly smile, the one I liked was present and her concern for me battled against her duty towards me. She came to sit beside me on the bed.


    ¡°Rhys,¡± she began and I knew she was no longer talking to me as a caregiver but as a mother. ¡°You have banished your mother. Isn¡¯t it time you let go of this bitterness? You are only hurting yourself emotionally.¡±


    I got up, afraid I would break down and make a fool of myself. My feet moved me to the door and I leaned against it heavily. Other people fell in love and married their mates. Why was my case different? Why should I have to settle for less, a mere arranged marriage? I deserved love, especially when I had been starved of the emotion as a child.


    ¡°If I were to ever want a Luna, I want someone who is mine. My mother has nothing to do with this. Anyone I marry would realize sooner orter that I can¡¯t¡­I can¡¯t¡­b**y perform like a normal male! I want someone who would understand me and will be okay with this! Is there such a woman?¡±


    Tilly was silent, answering my question without having to say anything. The only person who had made me feel like a man had disappeared into thin air. The only person¡­


    ¡°Tilly, do you know S**t PP69?¡±

 Love’ss 173

    Josiah listened to Andrew¡¯s cold and merciless words his face pallid with shock. He knelt on the ground and was too frightened to utter a single word.


    The atmosphere in the conference room was oppressively tense.


    After a while, Andrew spoke chillingly, ¡°Leave go City.¡±


    Josiah nodded vigorously.


    AU


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do as you say. Thank you, Mr. Miller!¡±


    Josiah breathed a sigh of relief. He feared Andrew might change his mind, so he hastily departed.


    Half an hourter, Rowan had everything arranged. When he returned, the conference room was filled with thick smoke.


    The ashtray in front of Andrew brimmed with cigarette butts.


    ¡°Mr. Miller.¡±


    Rowan approached respectfully.


    Andrew stubbed out the half¨Csmoked cigarette directly into the ashtray.


    ¡°Has everything been taken care of?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Personnel have been dispatched to verify. All assets will be retrieved within the week.¡±


    Andrew nodded.


    As he observed Andrew¡¯s deeply serious expression, Rowan knew Andrew was holding back his intense fury. He had witnessed how the Garcia family had treated Madelyn over the years.


    Before discovering her true identity, they <b>had </b>mistreated her. This could be exined by Caleb¡¯s frantic behavior after <b>learning </b>the truth. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    The fact that Madelyn wasn¡¯t Caleb¡¯s biological daughter didn¡¯t make Andrew sad.


    Rowan, who had previously harbored some resentment toward Madelyn, now felt nothing but sympathy. ¡°Mr. Miller, should we help Mrs. Miller investigate? Rowan asked<b>, </b>referring to Madelyn¡¯s biological parents.


    Since the girl found at the hospital entrance years ago wasn¡¯t from the Garcia family, Madelyn¡¯s biological parents must be elsewhere.


    Andrew¡¯s expression turned icy.


    ¡°What is there to investigate? She¡¯s my family, and the Miller family is hers.¡±


    Andrew couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°What good coulde from parents who abandoned their daughter at a hospital? And what if we do find them, only to discover that they¡¯re even worse than the Garcia family?¡± Rowan nodded.


    ¡°Yes. There¡¯s no need to investigate.¡±


    Regardless of the oue, Madelyn didn¡¯t need her birth family.


    ¡°What about Mrs. Miller?¡± Rowan asked.


    Chappi 173


    ¡°I¡¯ll inform her.¡±


    Andrew decided after a moment¡¯s thought.


    He <b>had </b>no intention of hiding Madelyn¡¯s true identity. After all, he had witnessed her longing for Caleb and Amelia¡¯s affection and the disappointment and pain of not receiving it.


    Andrew felt that news of her not being a part of the Garcia family was evidently a better result for her.


    Meanwhile, Madelyn had been dreaming as she napped in the lounge. Upon waking up, she feltpletely rxed.


    Andrew walked in to find that she was on the phone with Caleb, who was insistent on meeting her.


    ¡°I have something very important to tell you, Maddie. I¡¯m sorry for everything before. It was all my fault. 1 apologize to you,¡± Caleb said.


    Caleb¡¯s tone was affectionate over the phone as Madelyn listened in a daze. She realized Andrew was intent on reiming everything from the Garcia family.


    Madelyn understood Caleb well. She knew that he would do anything for a glimmer of hope.


    Caleb was now backed into a corner.


    ¡°Mr. Garcia, <b>I </b>must say, you really do know how to adapt to circumstances, Madelyn remarked.


    She wasn¡¯t pleased with Caleb at all. She only felt inexplicably disgusted.


    She also felt that this wasn¡¯t right, but deep down, she always had an instinct to escape them.


    Caleb would have been infuriated to hear such words from her in the past, but now there wasn¡¯t even a hint of anger. He merely spoke with bitterness over the phone.


    ¡°Your mother has already discussed divorce with me. Maddie, I now have nothing.¡±


    Madelyn was stunned by his words. She couldn¡¯t believe that Amelia was divorcing him.


    She found the situation truly strange. Amelia had even treated his illegitimate daughter as her own to please Caleb. Yet, she was now asking for a divorce.


    But even so, Madelyn had no sympathy for Caleb¡¯s plight.


    She said coldly, ¡°Mr. Garcia, you seem to have forgotten that you already had me sign the severance letter. Our procedures here are likelyplete by now.


    Spin to im Your Surprise Reward!

 Love’ss 174

    On the other end of the phone, Caleb¡¯s breath became ineven upon hearing Madelyn¡¯s words.


    Just as he was about to say something to try to persuade Madelyn to see him, Madelyn¡¯s hand was suddenly empty. She turned to see Andrew snatch the phone and end the call abruptly.


    Andrew tossed the phone onto the bed and loomed over her.


    ¡°Are you awake?¡±


    Madelyn remained silent. <b>She </b>noticed Andrew¡¯s grimplexion and tone and puzzled over <b>his </b>reason for being angry again.


    Her lips twitched involuntarily. She couldn¡¯t think of anything she had done to upset him. All she had done was sleep.


    She wondered if it could be because she did nothing that upset him.


    But this was the office. It couldn¡¯t be like how it was at Serenity Vi.


    Madelyn reached out and grabbed his hand.


    She asked urgently, ¡°What are you angry about now?¡±


    Andrew raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m not angry!¡±


    Madelyn was skeptical as his tone conveyed otherwise.


    She got up from the <b>bed </b><b>and </b>wrapped her arms around his neck.


    ¡°But I can see that you¡¯re angry. Come on. Who has upset you?¡±


    ¡°You!¡±


    ¡°Me? But I haven¡¯t done anything.¡±


    Upon hearing Andrew use her of upsetting him, Madelyn was genuinely bewildered. She figured that she had to be careful even when sleeping.


    Andrew grabbed her slender waist. Then, he turned around andy back on the bed. He allowed her toy on top of him.


    Madelyn could feel the rise and fall of his chest.


    He sighed.


    ¡°You really are a fool. How silly.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Madelyn couldn¡¯t quite grasp Andrew¡¯s words. She couldn¡¯t understand why he was angry because of her silliness.


    But if she was foolish, it wasn¡¯t entirely her fault. She was never smart to begin with. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Andrew asked sternly, ¡°What made <b>you </b>think Caleb and Amelia were your parents in the first ce?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you all imed?¡±


    Madelyn looked up. She was confused as she met Andrew¡¯s serious gaze.


    Andrew¡¯s stance stiffened at her words<b>. </b>


    Sensing his unease, Madelyn asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    2/2


    A cloud of gloom descended over the entire Miller family when Caleb and Amelia arrived at their door years ago. However, they seemed to have known all along that Caleb and Amelia were her parents.


    So when Caleb and Amelia came for Madelyn, they didn¡¯t oppose it and respected Madelyn¡¯s wishes despite being unhappy about it.


    No one had once doubted the rtionship between the Garcia family and Madelyn.


    However, upon hearing Andrew¡¯s words, Madelyn <b>asked</b>, ¡°Is there a problem?¡±


    Madelyn was confused by Andrew¡¯s silence.


    He stated, ¡°Caleb is not your biological father.¡±


    ¡°What? Am I a product of Amelia¡¯s affair?¡±


    Andrew remained silent at Madelyn¡¯s question.


    Madelyn grew livid and clutched her forehead in pain.


    Her face was filled with resentment as she stared at Andrew.


    ¡°What are you doing? Are you joking with me?¡±


    Andrew said, ¡°Amelia is not your biological mother either.¡±


    Madelyn replied, ¡°Oh.¡±


    Her mind raced.


    Madelyn was momentarily stunned. Then, her pupils narrowed as she looked at Andrew in disbelief.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t wrap her head around Andrew¡¯s statement that Caleb and Amelia weren¡¯t her parents.


    She wondered if it meant that she wasn¡¯t Caleb¡¯s and Amelia¡¯s biological daughter even before they signed the severance letter.


    Andrew was unsure of what had gone wrong. Years <b>ago</b>, he had witnessed Caleb and Amelia abandon a child at the hospital entrance from the third¨Cfloor hospital ward.


    Snowkes drifted onto the child in the cold wind, prompting him to rush downstairs and pick up the baby. In just a few short minutes, she had be someone else¡¯s abandoned child.


    Chap 125

 Love’ss 175

    Andrew recounted to Madelyn everything he had extracted from Josiah,


    The more Madelyn heard, the more shocked she became.


    ¡°So you mean I¡¯m really not Caleb and Amelia¡¯s biological daughter?¡±


    Andrew nodded solemnly.


    ¡°It¡¯s confirmed now. You¡¯re not theirs.¡±


    ¡°And they¡­¡±


    I


    ¡°Caleb only found <b>out </b>five years ago. As far <b>as </b>I know, <b>he¡¯s </b>the only one in the Garcia family aware of this fact.¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s breathing grew morebored at this revtion.


    So, Caleb had known all along that she wasn¡¯t his biological daughter. Over the years, he shamelessly exploited¨Cher for his gain without any gratitude.


    She couldn¡¯t believe their actions and behavior over all these years.


    Madelyn asked, ¡°Do Amelia and Elena know about this?¡±


    Andrew replied, ¡°Anyone who knew at the time was sworn to secrecy by him.¡±


    Madelyn nodded. Her disgust toward Caleb had now reached its peak.


    Andrew wanted to be absolutely certain before telling Madelyn the truth, so he also checked the Garcia family¡¯s gic database. He confirmed that the entire Garcia family had different blood types from hers. At this point, there was hardly any need for a paternity test.


    ¡°This is just despicable!¡±


    Madelyn was at a loss for words to describe Caleb. Those words alone didn¡¯t seem enough.


    Her heart raced with anger.


    ¡°Is this why you¡¯ve been retaliating against them?¡±


    She had to admit that Andrew¡¯s retaliation was perfectly timed.


    As soon as she learned the truth, the Garcia family began to experience severe repercussions. It wasn¡¯t exactly a devastating blow. After all, Andrew was simply reiming everything the Miller family had previously given away.


    But even such moves made the Garcia family feel unprecedented devastation.


    Amelia probably saw that the Garcia family was at its lowest point, which is why she asked Caleb for a


    divorce<b>. </b>


    Andrew gently tucked Madelyn¡¯s messy hair behind her ear and softly asked, ¡°Are you okay, darling?¡± Madelyn shook her head.


    ¡°I¡¯m not upset. On the contrary, I feel relieved<b>.</b>¡±


    When she witnessed Caleb and Amelia¡¯s behavior before, she would wish that she had no connection to them. Just the thought of sharing their blood nauseated her.


    2/2


    Although their actions still disgusted her, she felt an immense sense of relief from discovering that they weren¡¯t her biological parents. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Andrew held her close and said, ¡°Rowan suggested we look for your biological parents. What do you


    think?¡±


    Although Andrew had refused Rowan¡¯s suggestion <b>in </b>the conference room earlier, he still wanted <b>to </b>know Madelyn¡¯s true feelings.


    When Madelyn heard ¡°biological parents¡°, she thought about how Amelia had treated her so poorly when she returned to the Garcia family at the age of ten. Amelia¡¯s attitude had been cold and unkind despite being oblivious to Madelyn¡¯s true identity.


    Even if they believed she was their biological daughter at the time, their attitude was dreadful.


    Now, with Andrew asking if she wanted to <b>find </b>her biological parents, she instinctively shook her head.


    ¡°No! I don¡¯t need them.¡±


    She contemted what would happen if the people they found were even worse than Calen and Amelia.


    Clearly, after more than ten years with the Garcias, Madelyn had developed a natural aversion to biological ties.


    Hearing her response, Andrew smiled dotingly.


    ¡°Yes. We are your family now.¡±


    By ¡°we¡°, he meant himself and the entire Miller family.


    <b>With </b>tears in her eyes, Madelyn nodded. She had to admit that during her time with the Millers, even though everyone knew she was adopted, they treated her exceptionally well.


    Some familial bonds weren¡¯t created by blood. Sometimes, they offered <b>more </b>than blood ever could.


    Andrew had a meeting that afternoon. Meanwhile, Madelyn received several calls from the Garcia family. It was clear that Andrew¡¯s retraction not only affected Caleb and Amelia but also extended to the Garcia


    residence.


    Victoria¡¯s voice sounded furious over the phone.


    ¡°You ungrateful brat! It¡¯s bad enough you want to reim the Equilwood Vige project from your Uncle Matthew, but now you also want to take back the two estates under my name?¡±


    Madelyn was confused by her words. The mention of ¡°estates¡± puzzled her.


    (Chart¨®: 176

 Love’ss 176

    172


    Three years ago, Victoria imed she needed to live in a ce conducive to her health.


    Victoria subtly hinted that she wanted Madelyn¡¯s two estates during her grand birthday celebration. Under the scrutiny of numerous guests, Madelyn was pressured into publicly promising to gift those two estates


    to her.


    After Andrew discovered Madelyn was not the Garcia family¡¯s biological daughter that day<i>, </i>the process of reiming Victoria¡¯s two estates was underway.


    ¡°Mrs. Garcia Senior, I need to remind you that while I verbally agreed to let you stay in those estates, I never actually gave them to you.¡±


    ¡°What do you <b>mean</b>? Just letting me stay?¡±


    ¡°You should already know that these estates were never transferred to you, right?¡± Madelyn replied calmly.


    She had heard that Matthew had fallen into debt overnight after the Equilwood Vige project was reimed.


    Victoria had intended to sell the high¨Cvalue estates, only to realize that they were not legally hers. At that moment, she was likely trying to obtain the transfer documents from Madelyn.


    ¡°Well then. If this is supposed to be a ce for me to stay, then why are my belongings being sent back without any exnation?¡±


    There were important guests at the Garcia residence that day, and the Miller family¡¯s actions had embarrassed her.


    ¡°Because I intended to honor my grandmother with those estates. And you are not her,¡± Madelyn stated:


    ¡°Madelyn!¡±


    ¡°Go ask your son, Caleb.¡±


    With that, Madelyn hung up on the call.


    She remembered how Victoria had yed the role of a loving elder in front of the guests while pressuring her to gift her the estates.


    Madelyn gave it some thought and realized just how much the Garcias were a family united by maniption <b>and </b>deceit.


    Everyone in the Garcia family was like that. Once they saw the benefits, they would treat your exceptionally well.


    But even if you gave in to them, they would still feel dissatisfied. They would always think that you hadn¡¯t given enough. It was akin to giving a dog a bone and expecting it to feel satisfied.


    Meanwhile, Victoria was seething over the phone at the Garcia residence. Madelyn had referred to her coldly as ¡°Mrs. Garcia Senior¡± and had the audacity to make such remarks. This only fueled her rage further.


    When Krista returned, Angeline hurried to take the bag from her hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re finally back, Krista. You need to talk to your grandma.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her?¡±


    Krista¡¯s tone was solemn.


    Chopper 176


    272


    Krista held an air of gravity and pride, causing even Angeline to speak cautiously in her presence. Victoria was too angry to speak, so Angeline recounted the incident to Krista instead.


    Upon hearing the ount, Victoria snapped <b>and </b>said ¡°From now <b>on</b>, Madelyn is no longer a part of our family.¡±


    Krista nced at Angeline, recalling Andrew¡¯s behavior toward Madelyn in the office. Her expression grew more solemn.


    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, Madelyn relies on men for everything she has. Eventually, she¡¯ll lose it all because of


    a man.¡±


    ¡°Yes, indeed. We have to rely on ourselves for everything.¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Angeline nodded in agreement.


    Victoria remained uneasy. The locations and construction of those two estates <b>were </b>exceptional. If sold, they would be worth hundreds of millions of dors.


    Now that Madelyn had reimed them, the Garcias would face <b>quite </b>a substantial loss.


    Angeline saw Krista¡¯s reluctance to discuss Madelyn¡¯s affairs and wisely refrained from pressing further,


    ¡°Did today go well?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Everything went smoothly. I¡¯ve joined the design department!¡±


    Miller Group¡¯s design team required highly talented designers.


    Angeline had heard they only recruited elite designers, and Krista had graduated from a prestigious school. She believed thetter would soon achieve remarkable results.


    ¡°Mr. Miller seems quite upset with the Garcia family. Do you think it¡¯ll affect you?¡±


    Angeline voiced her concern.


    Krista furrowed her brows.


    She said, ¡°Mr. Miller keeps personal and professional matters separate. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Upon hearing Krista¡¯s words, Angeline nodded in relief. In any case, Krista securing such a prestigious job was a source of pride for her.


    Chapp¨¦r

 Love’ss 177

    Outside, everything was in chaos.


    Madelyn loungedzily on the couch in Andrew¡¯s office. Andrew had coaxed her into taking her medicine before diving into his work.


    Every so often, he would nce up at Madelyn with intense eyes.


    Madelyn sweetly said, ¡°Darling, I¡¯m thinking of leaving on time today.¡±


    Andrew said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even clock into <b>work</b>, so how can you leave?¡±


    Madelyn persisted and said, ¡°I just want us to get back to Serenity Vi earlier.¡±


    Andrew chuckled.


    He checked the time on his phone and said, ¡°I have a meeting <b>in </b>a bit, but I¡¯ll try my best to end on time.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Madelyn nodded. In truth, she was subtly reminding him not to ck off during work hours.


    She knew she needed to find something productive to do in thispany. Otherwise, being there under his nose would only hinder his work.


    30 minutester, Andrew headed off to his meeting. Madelyn reclined on the couch, scrolling through her phone. She hadn¡¯t forgotten that she had just officially acknowledged a goddaughter.


    Uncertain of Serena¡¯s clothing size, she dialed Melinda to inquire. Melinda quickly answered her <b>call</b>.


    ¡°Mrs. Miller,¡± Melinda greeted her formally.


    ¡°<b>You </b>can just call me Maddie,¡± Madelyn requested.


    She found the formal address awkward.


    The unfamiliar address made Melinda feel uneasy, no matter how often she said it. She hadn¡¯t fully recovered from Madelyn epting Serena as her goddaughter.


    Hearing Madelyn speak like this now only made her feel more embarrassed,


    She asked, ¡°What can I do for you, Maddie?¡±


    Madelyn inquired, ¡°What size clothes <b>does </b>Rena wear?


    ¡°You want to buy clothes for Rena? There¡¯s no need. You¡¯ve already helped her so much, and kids always have plenty of <b>ces </b>to <b>spend </b>money,¡± Melinda said.


    ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯ll have to buy them. Hurry up and tell me,¡± Madelyn interjected.


    She had seen Serena two or three times. However, every time she <b>saw </b>thetter, she wore the same clothes, which were showing signs of wear.


    She knew that Melinda was focused <b>on </b>saving Serena, and the money that she earned was mainly used on Serena¡¯s medical expenses, which didn¡¯t leave much money to buy her clothes.


    It wasn¡¯t only Serena. Melinda¡¯s jeans had also been washed white.


    She <b>wears </b>size 90. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Okay. I got it.¡±


    2/2


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to buy a lot. Kids grow quickly, and it¡¯ll be a waste if they outgrow them,¡± Melinda


    cautioned.


    Madelyn nodded, though her shopping cart was already <b>filled </b>with many styles she loved.


    She wondered what kind of parents would leave <b>a </b>child at the scene of an ident. Even if the child seemed lifeless, they should have taken her away.


    Just thinking about it made Madelyn feel sorry for Serena.


    Caleb, Amelia, and Victoria from the Garcia residence repeatedly called Madelyn. However, Madelyn kept declining their calls. In the end, she picked up the <b>call </b>from the Miller <b>residence</b>.


    ¡°Maddie, would you like toe home for dinner tonight? Grandma misses you too,¡± Grace said over the phone.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Of course, Mom.¡±


    Since Athena¡¯s birthday celebration, Madelyn had been dealing with her health issues and hadn¡¯t returned yet.


    She had intended to return these past few days, but Andrew had kept her close by his side.


    Andrew¡¯s meetingsted nearly two hours. By the time he emerged, half an hour had already passed since quitting time.


    Madelyn approached and embraced him.


    ¡°Are you done with work?¡±


    Andrew bent down. He smiled as he habitually weed his darling into his arms.


    He asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Not really. Mom wants us to go home for dinner.¡±


    If she was honest, she was indeed famished.


    Since taking Derrick¡¯s medicine, she always felt hungry. At mealtime, she was eager to eat.


    Andrew ruffled her soft hair.


    ¡°Can you wait for me for another ten minutes<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Madelyn replied.


    ¨C Chapter 178

 Love’ss 178

    Madelyn obediently let go of Andrew¡¯s hand.


    He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.


    ¡°Wait for me.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    He returned to his desk to handle some urgent paperwork. Meanwhile, Madelyn sat on the couch and watched him with a mix of admiration and curiosity. There was something incredibly charming about the way he focused on his work.


    Ten minutester, Andrew closed thest file and stood up


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, darling.¡±


    Madelyn rose to her feet and slipped her hand into his, their fingers <b>interlocking </b>naturally as they walked


    out together.


    The colleagues who were workingte nced up and greeted them respectfully. Andrew¡¯s good mood seemed to lift everyone¡¯s spirits.


    In the car, Madelyn snuggled against Andrew¡¯s arm while the streetlights cast <b>a </b>warm glow on their faces.


    ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I want to work,¡± she said softly.


    Andrew froze.


    ¡°Work?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s boring to just go to the office with you every day,¡± she exined.


    Andrew had insisted she stay close to him, but she spent most of her time alone in his office, feeling utterly bored.


    She was also quick with tasks and couldplete drawings in minutes. She had even read almost every book avable.


    ¡°Is spending time with me boring?¡±


    Andrew¡¯s tone grew displeased.


    Madelyn tensed at his reaction.


    She looked at his stern re and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that being with you is boring. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re always busy. You don¡¯t have time to be with me.¡±


    She was being honest as Andrew was always upied with work and rarely had time to spend with her.


    Andrew nodded thoughtfully.


    ¡°So, what would you like to do?¡±


    Madelyn frowned at his question and murmured, ¡°I finished my degree ahead of time. Why do you make it seem like I can¡¯t do anything?¡±


    Andrew looked at <b>her</b><b>, </b>and his expression softened.


    ¡°Yes. My darling¡¯s very smart. You skipped grades and did very well.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯tpare to you,¡± Madelyn admitted.


    Changer 178


    2/2


    She knew her intelligence was nothingpared to Andrew¡¯s. Still, she had her own strengths.


    ¡°Alright. How about you be my secretary?¡± Andrew suggested, thinking it was a way to keep her close.


    Madelyn shook her head.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Miller Group¡¯s secretarial team is huge<b>, </b>and everyone there knows me. Are you asking me to sit around and twiddle my thumbs simply?<i>¡± </i>


    Everyone knew she was the president¡¯s wife, so any position would be more symbolic than substantial. It would be no different from not working at all.


    Andrew cupped her chin and gave her a deep kiss.


    ¡°Then tell me, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to start my own studio.¡±


    ¡°A studio? Are you sure yo


    can manage that?¡±


    Andrew was doubtful. Although she was brilliant in school and graduated early, shecked real¨Cworld experience.


    He was skeptical at the thought of her wanting to establish her own studio despite not working a day in her life.


    Madelyn wrinkled her nose.


    ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do it?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that way. Sure! Let¡¯s open a studio.¡±


    Andrew immediately agreed when he noticed Madelyn on the verge of tears. He couldn¡¯t bear to see her upset.


    He mused over the fact that she was a crybaby and yet insisted on opening a studio herself. He figured letting her try was better than making her cry.


    Andrew had thought the studio was <b>just </b>a way to keep her happy and something to indulge her with. But by the third day, he was stunned by what Madelyn had aplished.


    Chappy 179

 Love’ss 179

    1/2


    When Andrew and Madelyn returned to the Miller residence, Athena¡¯s face glowed with affection as she looked at thetter, clearly showing how much she adored her.


    ¡°How could I have been so blind despite being so sharp my whole life?¡± Athenamented.


    ¡°She swapped all the jewels¨Can entire box of them!¡±


    Madelyn was clueless about what had happened at the Garcia residence after she left. She only knew that Ryan had taken Samuel to retrieve the items. She had wondered why he needed Samuel, a jewelry appraisal expert, to apany him.


    But now, hearing Athena¡¯s words, Madelyn was shocked.


    Elena had done something so shameless and disgraceful. This scandal had ruined her image entirely in the Miller family¡¯s eyes, making all her previous efforts worthless.


    ¡°She swapped everything?¡± Madelyn asked in disbelief.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Athena replied.


    ¡°Can you believe how deep her schemes go? She knew nned to take them back and made such borate preparations. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing Mr. Sanchez Senior went along. Otherwise, they would have fled abroad by now.¡±


    The more Athena talked, the angrier she became. She thought about how much she had doted on Elena over the years as she felt sorry for thetter for losing her mother at a young age.


    Despite Amelia¡¯s poor parenting, Elena had grown up to be graceful and gentle, which was admirable. But recent events made it clear that one couldn¡¯t just ignore a person¡¯s <b>true </b>nature.


    ¡°Alright, Grandma Athena. Don¡¯t be angry. Let¡¯s eat, shall we? I¡¯m starving,¡± Madelyn said, trying to lighten the mood.


    She genuinely didn¡¯t want to hear about Elena anymore, and more importantly<i>, </i>she was hungry. It was already almost 7:00 pm.


    When Athena heard that Madelyn was hungry, she quickly had Grace arrange the meal. They were all hungry at that hour.


    But seeing Madelyn, Athena couldn¡¯t help butin about Elena. She had almost suffered a huge loss this time and needed to vent.


    Grace kept serving Madelyn her favorite dishes during the meal and asked, ¡°Can your not return to the Garcia family anymore?¡±


    Grace was blunt. After all, the Garcia family hadn¡¯t treated Madelyn well. She couldn¡¯t understand why Madelyn insisted on returning to the Garcias when the Millers treated her so well.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mom. I won¡¯t go back anymore,¡± Madelyn reassured her.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Grace looked at Madelyn in disbelief. Hearing Madelyns firm tone, she was worried about being disappointed again.


    Madelyn nodded.


    IPS 2/2


    ¡°Practically¡± meant pletely¡°.


    Grace looked at Madelyn and then at Andrew. Andrew pulled the residency documentation out of his bag


    and handed it to Grace.


    She opened it and found two papers inside¨Ca court ruling document and a family dissolution agreement signed by Madelyn and Caleb.


    ¡°What? How did ite to this?¡±


    Grace was shocked. They had only been out of touch for a few days, yet it seemed that Madelyn <b>and </b>the Garcia family had been secretly at war, and they knew nothing about it.


    Andrew said, ¡°Even without these documents, she was never really part of the Garcia family.¡±


    Andrew didn¡¯t intend to hide anything from his family He wanted Grace and Athena to know that there was no need to feel awkward around Amelia and the others or to keep Madelyn¡¯s connection to them in mind.


    Grace and Athena were even more confused.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Athena asked.


    Andrew nced at Madelyn, who seemed unfazed. So, he recounted the entire story of Madelyn and the Garcia family.


    The more Grace and Athena listened, the more shocked they became. They had no idea things were soplicated.


    When Andrew finished speaking, Grace murmured, ¡°So, the Maddie we brought home all those years ago. was never the daughter Caleb and Amelia lost?¡±


    Andrew nodded.

 Love’ss 180

    Grace¡¯s and Athena¡¯s heart shattered.


    Atst, they understood how Caleb had managed to put on that repulsive disy of selling his own daughter. It was clear now¨Che had no affection for Madelyn at all, as she wasn¡¯t his biological daughter.


    It was no wonder that the Garcias hadn¡¯t given Madelyn any wedding gifts all those years ago. The Millers had always been confused as to why the Garcias felt no guilt over losing Madelyn for ten years.


    ¡°My poor Maddie.¡±


    Athena pulled Madelyn closer with even morepassion.


    Grace felt a pang of guilt, too. When Amelia tearfully came to them all those years ago, they had always believed Madelyn was her daughter. After all, they had seen her lose Madelyn.


    They hadn¡¯t realized how things could go so wrong in just those few minutes. They felt that they should have done a proper test to avoid all those years of torment for Madelyn.


    Seeing Athena¡¯s distress, Madelyn reassured her, ¡°Grandma Athena, I¡¯m fine. Please, don¡¯t be upset.¡±


    ¡°How could I not? I raised you with all my heart. Elena is so cunning. She even made me misunderstand


    you.


    ¡°It turns out they knew you weren¡¯t their own and did it purposefully.¡±


    The more Athena thought about it, the more her heart ached for Madelyn.


    pars. It even


    She wondered about the kind of life Madelyn had when she lived with the Garcias all those years. caused the Miller family, who had always loved her, to misunderstand her.


    How helpless had she been then?


    As Grace and Athena reminisced, they realized they hadn¡¯t cared about Madelyn¡¯s situation with the Garcias since their misunderstanding.


    She had hardly ever returned to the Garcia residence during those years, and they hadn¡¯t shown any


    concem.


    ¡°Silly child, why didn¡¯t youe to me? You could have told me anything. I¡­¡±


    Athena stopped herself <b>mid</b>¨Csentence.


    She thought of how Madelyn had exined it to her before. However, she didn¡¯t believe a word at that


    time.


    Madelyn forced a smile when she heard Athena¡¯s <b>sad </b>sigh.


    ¡°Grandma Athena, let¡¯s not dwell on the past, okay?¡±


    After all, the past had not been pleasant for her.


    Andrew pulled Madelyn over, and his tone turned serious.


    ¡°From now on, when you guys meet the Garcias, you don¡¯t have to put up a friendly facade for Maddie¡¯s


    sake.¡±


    ¡°Of course not! Maddie <b>isn¡¯t </b><b>even </b>part of the Garcias Why should they take advantage of her?¡± Athena eximed fiercely.


    As she thought of the suffering Madelyn had endured over the years, her heart ached even more.


    Chap 180


    2/2


    Grace, who usually kept her emotions in check, now had a chilling determination in her eyes.


    After dinner, Andrew wanted to take Madelyn back to Serenity Vi, but Athena and Grace insisted they stay at the Miller residence. However, Andrew refused.


    In the end, Athena and Grace showered Madelyn with gifts before allowing them to leave.


    In the <b>car</b>, Madelyny in Andrew¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Why did you tell Grandma Athena and Mom? They must be so upset.¡±


    ¡°The Garcias are cunning. I told them to prevent the Garcias from taking advantage of you in the future,¡± Andrew said seriously.


    Madelyn thought he had a point.


    Amelia and Elena were both top¨Cnotch schemers. Athena and Grace wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against


    them. What if Amelia and Grace promised them some benefits because of Madelynhance against


    But now, neither Madelyn nor Andrew would let the Garcias take advantage of them again.


    David was waiting back at Serenity Vi


    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Miller,¡± he greeted.


    ¡°Is the medicine ready?¡± Andrew asked as he carried Madelyn inside.


    David nodded respectfully.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s already warmed


    <i>up</i><i>.</i><i>¡± </i>


    Andrew had texted David from the Miller residence earlier to have the kitchen heat up Madelyn¡¯s medicine.


    Madelyn remembered there was arge bag of medicine in her car.


    She told Andrew, ¡°Dr. Barton said the medicine also has some auxiliary effect on the blood clot in my skull. It can be taken with the current prescription.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Dr. Kent first. Did you bring the prescription back with you?¡± Andrew asked.


    Although Madelyn mentioned it, he remained cautious. He wasn¡¯t anxious about having a child. He only cared about her safety. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.

 Love’ss 181

    Andrew coaxed Madelyn into taking her medicine.


    Even though she <b>had </b>be much more cooperative, convincing her to take her medicine was still a battle. The nighttime dose <b>was </b>especially a struggle as it was extremely bitter. She often refused to take


    <ol>


    <li>it. </li>


    </ol>


    At the sight of her scrunched¨Cup face, Andrew sat down with her in his arms. He popped a fruit candy into her mouth.


    Madelyn¡¯s eyes lit up as soon as she tasted it.


    ¡°Orange vor?¡±


    Andrew nodded gently.


    ¡°The rock sugar didn¡¯t have much taste before. This one should be better.¡±


    ¡°It is better!¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s frown rxed. The orange vor always brought a sense of joy, significantly lessening the bitterness in her mouth.


    Andrew had prepared various fruit¨Cvored candies¨Cpeach, mint, lemon¨Cto mask the medicine¡¯s taste. After holding her for a while, Andrew patted her head.


    ¡°How are you feeling now?¡±


    ¡°I want another one,¡® Madelyn said while chewing the candy in her mouth.


    She had never realized how good fruit candies tasted. She enjoyed this vor, which she had never had before.


    When she was young, the Miller family worried about her teeth, so they denied her requests for candy, leaving her with only rock sugar to counter the taste of medicine.


    Andrew shook his head at her request.


    ¡°No way!¡±


    Madelyn looked up.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Too much candy is bad for you.¡±


    ¡°I hardly had any candy growing u


    sily frustrated.


    <ol>


    <li>up. What¡¯s wrong with having one more?¡± Madelyn grumbled, feeling </li>


    </ol>


    She knew he cared for her, but felt that his overbearing behavior was too much.


    Andrew sighed..


    ¡°I didn¡¯t let you have it before because I feared you¡¯d overdo it.¡±


    When it came to raising kids, Andrew was certain to nip things in the bud and be decisive.


    Madelyn¡¯s lips twitched.


    ¡°But you can¡¯t just not let me have any. Don¡¯t you know have low blood sugar?¡±


    ¡°Who said that?¡±


    ¡®The doctor. He told me to eat more candy.¡±


    ¡°What <b>kind </b>of logic is that?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew ignored her pleas for more candy and scooped her up to carry her upstairs.


    After her bath, Madelyn still wore a sullen expression as Andrew ced her on the bed.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have plenty of chances to eat candy. Why the rush?¡±


    She knew she¡¯d get three candies a day if she needed to take her medicine. Madelyn feltforted at that thought.


    As she snuggled into his arms, she felt Andrew instinctively look at her from above. He smiled.


    ¡°You can have an extra one in the morning.


    Since blood sugar levels were stable in the morning, Andrew allowed her the extra treat.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Madelyn looked up, hopeful.


    ¡°Really.¡±


    Andrew nodded. He had been strict with her before, which made her fixation on candy understandable. He thought that he should perhaps ease up a little. But then he remembered her involvement with Easton and felt uneasy.


    The next morning, Andrew woke up at 6:00 am to find Madelyn still looking sleepy.


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you eager to start work? Get up!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Work?¡±


    Madelyn instantly became alert at those words. She quickly scrambled out of bed, but her mind was still groggy. She looked at Andrew, confused.


    ¡°Where am I going to work?¡±


    ¡°Rowan stayed upst night setting up your studio. It¡¯s up to you now.¡±


    ¡®That fast?¡±


    Madelyn was surprised. She had only mentioned it yesterday afternoon, and Rowan had already set it up overnight. She thought that his efficiency was impressive.


    ¡°Why? Don¡¯t you want to go? If not, thene with me to thepany, and I¡¯ll have Rowan close the studio.¡±


    ¡°No, no. I¡¯m up!¡±


    Madelyn quickly

 Love’ss 182

    1/2


    Andrew wanted to seize this opportunity to show Madelyn just how challenging the real world could be.


    Madelyn picked at her breakfast, and herck of appetite clearly showed her early wake¨Cup call.


    ¡°Does anyone at thepany know I¡¯m the boss?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Do you want to be the boss?¡±


    Andrew raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°No,¡± she red at him.


    ¡°Have someone else manage it discreetly. I¡¯d rather not be recognized.¡±


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of me working if they know? It¡¯ll be like working under your nose anyway.¡±


    Madelyn avoided Andrew¡¯spany because everyone there knew her, rendering her presence pointless.


    If the studio Rowan hastily prepared overnight was also filled with familiar faces, it would be equally futile as they would also allow her to do whatever she wanted.


    Andrew ced a fried egg in her bowl.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re itching for a challenge based on your abilities?¡±


    Madelyn took a bite and mumbled, ¡°You¡¯ve pampered me too much that I lost my abilities. I just want a regr job.¡±


    Andrew chuckled. He¡¯d coddled her, only to almost lose her. It was apparent she was influenced. Clearly, whoever imed that spoiling a woman kept her from leaving didn¡¯t know what they were talking about.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll have Rowan handle it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Madelyn rxed after he agreed.


    She couldn¡¯t have taken her medication on an empty stomach without feeling sick, so Andrew let her wait until after breakfast. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Despite sleeping through the night, she remembered his promise and insisted on seeing two orange- vored candies before taking her medicine.


    When it was time for work, Andrew opened the car door for her.


    ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll give you a lift.¡±


    Madelyn instinctively wanted to dodge, but Andrew¡¯s stern gaze silenced her objections.


    Miller Group


    Rowan had set up a studio in the building next door to Miller


    Madelyn felt uneasy about being so close to Andrew¡¯s watchful eye, but securing his permission to work was a feat in itself, so she didn¡¯t protest.


    Before she got out of the car, Andrew handed down a string of instructions as if he were prepping a kindergarten student for their first day of school.


    ¡°The vice president is already on board. The studio is just starting so there won¡¯t be many clients yet. She¡¯ll start recruiting and pooling resources in theing days.


    2/2


    ¡°I don¡¯t imagine you¡¯ll be too busy, so I¡¯ll pick you up for lunch. Be ready on time.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Madelyn replied, nodding.


    Andrew went over the details one more time to make sure she understood.


    Then Madelyn asked, ¡°So, what exactly am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°What do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Run errands?¡±


    Andrew was momentarily speechless at her intention to run errands. He didn¡¯t know what to make of that.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he figured that he might as well let her if that¡¯s what she wanted. He hoped she might get tired and return to the office after a while.


    With that in mind, Andrew felt better about letting her go.


    ¡°Even if you¡¯re just running errands, remember, you¡¯re still the owner of this studio. And as you requested, no one will know your true identity.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Madelyn nodded as she listened intently.


    Once everything was settled, Andrew watched her walk into the building, lingering momentarily before heading back.


    Rowan, weary from working all night, couldn¡¯t help but notice Madelyn¡¯sck of enthusiasm. He wondered if all his efforts had been in vain. He nced at Andrew with skepticism..


    He felt that Madelyn had a knack for stirring things up and hoped that this time would be different.


    ¡°Mr. Miller, are you really letting her go off to work like this?¡± Rowan asked.


    He was doubtful about both Madelyn and Andrew. Considering how Andrew had pampered her<b>, </b>she seemed unlikely to seed as a businesswoman. More importantly, Madelyn didn¡¯t seem to have the necessary skills.


    Andrew, however, appeared intrigued by her initiative.


    ¡°Let her have a go at it. If that¡¯s what she wants, let her give it a shot.¡±


    ¡°But are we really not going to help with client acquisition?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Andrew said firmly.


    He hoped that by facing the challenges alone, Madelyn would realize her ce <b>was </b>beside him.


    Rowan finally understood. Andrew was willing to spend money just to let Madelyn confront the harsh realities of the world, hoping she¡¯d return to him morepliant.


    All his hard work the previous night suddenly seemed like a wasted effort.

 Love’ss 183

    When Madelyn arrived at the studio, the stark emptiness struck her immediately. At that moment, she understood how Rowan had managed to set everything up overnight.


    She fr


    figured that the office must have belonged to a previouspany. It was elegantly decorated, but it was almostpletely bare aside from a few desks.


    She wandered around until she found someone in an officebeled ¡°Vice President¡°. Jessie Carter, seated in arge executive chair, was dressed in a sharp white business suit.


    Hearing a knock at the door, Jessie looked up at Madelyn with a piercing gaze.


    ¡°Are you here for the interview?¡± Jessie asked.


    ¡°Yes, I am!¡±


    Madelyn snapped back to reality.


    Relief washed over her when she saw someone greeting her. It was unsurprising that Andrew had mentioned at breakfast that no one knew her here. After all, with just one person around, who could have? Jessie closed the folder and said, ¡°R¨¦sum¨¦, please.¡±


    Madelyn was taken aback at the mention of a r¨¦sum¨¦ Andrew hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about needing N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    one.


    She had expected to dive right in, not to start from scratch. Embarrassed, she fumbled through her bag. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I must have left it in a hurry. Can I fill one out now?¡± she asked, trying to sound apologetic.


    Jessie frowned, clearly displeased. Showing up for an interview without a r¨¦sum¨¦ wasn¡¯t ideal, but Madelyn had no choice but to continue.


    ¡®I¡¯ll be quick.¡±


    Despite her irritation, Jessie handed Madelyn a nk r¨¦sum¨¦ form. Madelyn quickly filled it out with neat handwriting, and within a minute, she handed it back.


    Jessie nced over it and raised an eyebrow when she saw Madelyn¡¯s alma mater.


    ¡°You graduated from the Architecture Department at go University?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Madelyn nodded.


    Jessie checked her graduation date and noted that Madelyn had finished at 19 years old.


    ¡°Did you graduate early?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madelyn confirmed.


    Jessie¡¯s impatience vanished. Completing school ahead of schedule indicated intelligence, but she was surprised when she read Madelyn¡¯s work experience section.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never had a job before?¡±


    I haven¡¯t had a formal job before, but <i>/ </i>


    taken on frence projects, Madelyn answered.


    Jessie wasn¡¯t too worried about herck of experience. The studio was only just getting started, and she wasn¡¯t expecting too much from her initial hires.


    She had assumed Madelyn was applying for a receptionist position, but her r¨¦sum¨¦, whilecking work. experience, highlighted several design awards from school.


    Jessie couldn¡¯t yet gauge her practical performance.


    So, she decided and said, ¡°You can begin as an intern in the design department. There might not be much work for the next couple of months, but we¡¯ll see how you do and consider making you a permanent employee based on your performance.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Madelyn agreed without hesitation.


    Despite being the only one there, Jessie handled everything with impressive efficiency.


    Madelyn could see why Rowan had stayed with Andrew for so long. Everything he touched seemed to turn out perfectly. By midday, Jessie had already managed to organize and staff all the departments.


    The design department only consisted of Madelyn and no one else at that moment. Despite that, she understood that experienced designers might overlook a new studio, and interns often preferredrger firms.


    By noon, Madelyn still didn¡¯t have much to do when she received a call from Andrew.


    ¡°Come downstairs. I¡¯m waiting for you.¡±

 Love’ss 184

    1/2


    ¡°Okay,¡± Madelyn replied to Andrew.


    She quickly gathered her things and headed downstairs. Most of her colleagues had already left for lunch.


    Andrew¡¯s car was waiting for her in the underground garage, so she walked over to the adjacent building and got in.


    As soon as she settled into the car, Andrew pulled her into his arms.


    ¡°How was your first day at work? Did everything go okay?¡±


    ¡°Darling, you didn¡¯t even mention I needed to bring a r¨¦sum¨¦,¡± Madelynined.


    Andrew lifted her onto hisp.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something upset you? Should I fire Jessie?¡±


    ¡°No! It¡¯s fine,¡± she reassured him.


    So, the stern vice president¡¯s name was Jessie. Madelyn hadn¡¯t been offended, but she was unsettled for a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t intentional. She was just used to turning to Andrew when <b>things </b>didn¡¯t go smoothly.


    Andrew gently stroked her head. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You say you¡¯re fine, but that pout says otherwise. Tell me. What would make you feel better?¡±


    ¡°Could we go to Moonlit Restaurant? Do we have time?


    ¡°We do. If you want it, I¡¯ll have it arranged. We¡¯ll get there just in time.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    She was craving Moonlit Restaurant¡¯s beef stew.


    Andrew instructed Rowan ordingly, ensuring her favorite beef stew


    was prepared. The restaurant was renowned for its beef stew, especially for its tender, well¨Ccooked meat. Madelyn always enjoyed it. Andrew then asked her about her morning.


    ¡°Jessie spent the whole morning interviewing candidates. Since we don¡¯t have any clients yet, there wasn¡¯t much for me to do.¡±


    ¡°What department are you in?¡±


    ¡°The design department!¡±


    ¡°You know how to design?¡±


    Andrew clicked his tongue. He was genuinely surprised as he hadn¡¯t realized she had that skill.


    He knew she had been admitted to go University based on her merits. She excelled academically. graduating with a degree in architecture but having never held a job before.


    He found it curprising that she had the skills to impress Jessie, who was notoriously particr, to <b>ce </b>an inexperienced newble in the design department.


    Sensing his disbelief, Madelyn retorted, ¡°What? You think I can¡¯t handle it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that. Do you need my help since you don¡¯t have any clients yet?¡® Andrew offered.


    Chap 184


    Design work was strenuous, with countless draft revisions and long hours. Andrew wondered if Madelyn could cope and persist if he helped her secure clients.


    Unexpectedly, Madelyn replied, ¡°No need. I trust Jessie¡¯s abilities. She¡¯ll have clients lined up soon enough.¡±


    After all, she wasn¡¯t managing thepany herself. There were always others to take care of such


    matters.


    Andrew was surprised by herck of urgency.


    At Moonlit Restaurant, Lily Turner, the owner, personally greeted Andrew and Madelyn. Madelyn found Lily familiar but couldn¡¯t quite ce where she had seen <b>her </b>before.


    After Lily left, Andrew patted Madelyn¡¯s head again..


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say hello to Lily? Don¡¯t you remember her?¡±


    Andrew recalled what Derrick had said about Madelyn¡¯s condition when he saw her confused look. It seemed that the intracranial bleeding had indeed caused her to forget many things.


    ¡°Have I met Lily before?¡±


    ¡°You spent ten years at the Miller residence, eating the food she prepared. Do you remember?<b>¡± </b>


    Madelyn was stunned that she had forgotten something that had happened for over ten years.


    A sense of emptiness grew within her. She had always felt like she had forgotten something important but could never quite figure it out.


    Hearing Andrew mention someone who had been with her for ten years in the Miller residence made her realize that she might have forgotten many significant people and events in her life.

 Love’ss 185

    Chapter <b>185 </b>


    Andrew noticed Madelyn fidgeting with her food and even ignored the beef in her bowl.


    He gently took her cold hand and asked, ¡°What¡¯s on your mind?¡±


    Madelyn snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Andrew with confusion.


    ¡°Earlier, you mentioned Caleb was gravely injured five years ago. <b>Could </b>that be when I hit my head, too? <b>Is </b>that when the blood clot in my brain formed?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but the tests suggest it wasn¡¯t just a one¨Ctime injury,¡± Andrew replied.


    Madelyn¡¯s mind went nk. She couldn¡¯t remember the time she and Caleb were injured together, let alone any other times she might have been hurt and forgotten about it.


    Reflecting carefully, she realized that the blood clot in her skull had indeed had a significant impact on her.


    Even though she was injured with Caleb five years ago, her clearest memories from the past five years were with Andrew. She couldn¡¯t recall why they had quarreled or why she had acted out for Easton¡¯s sake.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not dwell on it anymore, okay?¡± Andrew said after noticing her pale face.


    He covered her cold hand with his warm palm.


    Madelyn nodded.


    ¡°Okay.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    She considered that those memories could possibly return once the blood clot in her brain dissipated She contemted if what she had forgotten wasn¡¯t that significant after all.


    After lunch, Andrew took Madelyn to thepany to take her medicine. In the afternoon, with nothing else to do, Madelyn checked on the status of the items she had bought for Serena and confirmed they had arrived.


    She called David to arrange for them to be picked up and disinfected.


    Toward the end of the workday, a new colleague named Emma Brooks joined the design department. Emma boasted three years of experience in the field. Although she hadn¡¯t won any significant awards, Jessie hired her for her extensive design experience.


    Knowing that Madelyn was just an intern, Emma disregarded her and instructed, ¡°Go make copies of this document for me.¡±


    Madelyn was in the middle of sketching a design when she heard this. She nced up at the brilliant- looking Emma, who seemed dismissive.


    Emma¡¯s eyes shed with disdain.


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯ll help you,¡± Madelyn replied, setting aside her sketches to take the document from Emma. When she returned after making the.copies, she found Emma engrossed inputer¨Cgraphics without even acknowledging her.


    Madelyn shrugged it off and returned to her unfinished design at her desk. She realized she might have overestimated Jessie, as the next two days were surprisingly quiet in the design department, with no sight of any clients at all.


    2/2


    Meanwhile, Emma was demanding<b>, </b><b>constantly </b>asking Madelyn to <b>make </b>a copy of this or that.


    By the third day, Madelyn grew unsettled during her lunch break.


    She approached Andrew and asked, ¡°Darling, why don¡¯t we have any clients yet?¡±


    ¡°You still don¡¯t have any clients?¡±


    ¡°No. Jessie is out every day,¡± Madelyn said, noting that no clients had signed any contracts.


    Andrew raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Jessie is very capable, but your studio is just getting its feet off the ground. Not many people trust it yet.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Madelyn nodded in realization.


    Andrew suggested, ¡°Do you want to take on the design for Glomhill?¡±


    ¡°Can I?¡± Madelyn asked eagerly.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you to decide. But remember, now that your studio has a full team, not doing any work for a month could cost around 600 thousand dors in sries alone.¡±


    ¡°What? That much?¡±


    Madelyn was taken aback. They would lose money if they had no work to do.


    It seemed that she couldn¡¯t rely too much on Jessie. She needed to find a way to get this team working sooner rather thanter.

 Love’ss 186

    Only then did Madelyn begin to understand Andrew¡¯s struggles. She regretted her earlier recklessness in handing over many promising projects to the Garcia family.


    Noticing her troubled expression, Andrew sensed her growing <b>concern </b>over finances. He secretly hoped she might eventually consider shutting down the studio to cut costs.


    Feigning concern, he asked, ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    ¡°No. I trust someone with foresight will recognize our potential.¡±


    Andrew was stunned by her stubbornness.


    He nodded, deciding to let her handle things her own way. He was curious to see how long Madelyn could endure this.


    ¡°Good luck,¡± he added sincerely.


    Madelyn nodded, signaling she didn¡¯t want to delve into it further with Andrew.


    Later that afternoon at thepany, Jessie returned looking crestfallen, clearly having faced another setback.


    Andrew had spoken highly of Jessie¡¯s strong work ethic, so Madelyn figured it must have been tough for Jessie to represent a studio with no established reputation.


    Jessie summoned Emma and Madelyn to her office, instructing them to prepare a design proposal for a project in Southstar to gear up for apetitive bid.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it finalized yet?¡±


    Emma frowned at the mention of a bidding match.


    Jessie nodded gravely.


    ¡°Celestial Group currently oversees South Star. They¡¯re screening studios, and we aim to secure Celestial¡¯s project. So, put extra effort into South Star¡¯s design.¡±


    Jessie realized that her efforts outside were failing to demonstrate the studio¡¯s capability. So, she could now only count on Emma¡¯s experience.


    Then, Jessie instructed Madelyn, ¡°You¡¯ll assist Emma.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Madelyn agreed.


    Emma, on the other hand, was still displeased. She had previously only taken on projects that sought her out, and she now felt ufortable with someone thrust upon her.


    However, she said nothing and left the office. She even brushed off Madelyn and retreated to her workspace.


    Sensing Emma¡¯s reluctance, Madelyn asked, ¡°Is there anything I can help with?¡±


    ¡°No. Let¡¯s just focus on our own work,¡± Emma replied curtly.


    Emma was wary of mentoring Madelyn as she was aware that Madelyn was just an intern. She deliberately excluded her from the task.


    Three days passed without the studionding a single client. The pressure from above was mounting on Jessie, leaving her overwhelmed.


    2/2


    The entire studio was on edge. Some employees had even threatened to quit after just three days. Jessie, feeling the strain, let them go without hesitation.


    Madelyn watched the chaos unfold and felt a growing sense of anxiety. She wondered if she would have to return to Andrew and admit defeat so soon. She didn¡¯t think it was an option.


    Back at her desk, Madelyn sent a text message <b>and </b>began reviewing the nning documents for South


    Star.


    Her phone vibrated with a buzz.


    She nced at the caller ID¨Cit was Melinda.


    ¡°Melinda, what¡¯s up?¡±


    Re


    wants to see you. She¡¯s back in the normal ward, Melinda informed her.


    Madelyn put down her pen.


    ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll stop by after work and that she should make sure to eat.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Melinda agreed.


    After ending the call, Madelyn felt a wave of relief. It felt strangelyforting to be needed by a child.


    She sighed and wondered when she and Andrew would have children of their own. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.

 Love’ss 187

    After hanging up, Madelyn texted Andrew, saying she had to go to the hospital first.


    He responded immediately and insisted on joining her. Although she hadn¡¯t yet told him about being a godmother to a child, she didn¡¯t mind if he came along


    As the workday ended, Jessie called her and Emma into the office. Unlike earlier, Jessie was all smiles and clearly <b>had </b>some good news to share.


    ¡°I have great news for you two. We¡¯re going to be very busy soon,¡± Jessie announced.


    ¡°Did wend a project?¡±


    Emma raised an eyebrow.


    Jessie shook her head.


    ¡°We have no projects yet, but our studio is now affiliated with Unity Studios. We won¡¯t have to worry about. finding clients.¡±


    ¡°Unity Studios? The one under Naomi?¡±


    Emma was stunned.


    Unity Studios was a renowned design studio in Fsko. Although small scaled, its designers were top- notch.


    Naomi, in particr, was highly sought after by majorpanies. Many wanted to hire her for design work, but she was extremely hard to book.


    Linking their newly established studio with Unity Studios was bound to attract significant projects from domestic corporations. Moreover, veteran designers who previously ignored their studio would be drawn in by Unity Studios¡® reputation.


    Their once¨Coverlooked studio could soon be in high demand.


    Jessie nodded.


    ¡°Yes, our application has been approved. We¡¯re now Unity Studios¡® branch in go City. But don¡¯t neglect our South Star designs. I believe Celestial Group will soone knocking.¡±


    They previously tried to curry favor with Celestial Group. But now, they were proactively preparing for Celestial Group¡¯s needs. These were two entirely different approaches.


    Emma¡¯s eyes lit up. Earlier that afternoon, she contemted quitting as she was unwilling to grovel for work. Now, she couldn¡¯t bear to leave<b>. </b>


    When Andrew picked Madelyn up, he noticed her beaming with joy.


    ¡°What¡¯s got you so happy?¡± he asked. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be busy soon and won¡¯t have to worry about payroll. Of course I¡¯m happy,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Did you secure a project?<b>¡± </b>


    Andrew raised an eyebrow, skeptical. He knew how tough it was for a small studio to sign a project, especially without leveraging Miller Group¡¯s name.


    Before Madelyn could respond, Andrew teased, ¡°You don¡¯t think one project can support all those people, do you?¡±


    212


    ¡°Who said it was just one?¡± she retorted.


    Andrew was taken aback by herment. He instinctively nced at Rowan, who was driving. Rowan looked just as confused. He knew the studio had been struggling and was equally surprised to hear about a <b>signed </b>project.


    Although Jessie was highlypetent, Rowan had heard about the setbacks she had faced recently.


    ¡°So, there¡¯s more?¡± Andrew asked.


    ¡°Many more areing soon!¡± Madelyn dered confidently.


    Andrew raised an eyebrow as she continued, ¡°Jessie somehow connected with Unity Studios, and we¡¯re now their go City branch. Don¡¯t you think we¡¯ll soon get a lot of business?¡±


    ¡°Unity Studios?¡± Andrew echoed.


    He knew the studio well and knew that Naomi, whom they were looking to hire, was a major shareholder there. Getting her to design something was nearly impossible.


    Madelyn nodded.


    ¡°Yes. Darling, do you want to give us the Glomhill project? It¡¯s firste, first served. Soon, there will be at waiting list.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re quite audacious,¡± Andrew said while yfully flicking her forehead.


    Caught off guard, Madelyn red at him.


    ¡°If you won¡¯t give it to us, why hit me?<b>¡± </b>


    Andrew gently rubbed her forehead and softly consoled her when he saw her annoyed expression.


    ¡°You can give it a try, but there¡¯s no guarantee it¡¯ll be epted.¡±

 Love’ss 188

    ¡°It feels like I¡¯m begging you or something. Fine. I don¡¯t need it anymore,¡± Madelyn said haughtily.


    Andrew couldn¡¯t argue with her, but they silently agreed to drop the subject.


    When they arrived at the hospital, Daniel was already waiting at the entrance with the sanitized items.


    When he saw <b>this</b>, Andrew asked, ¡°Are you visiting a patient? Who¡¯s sick?¡±


    ¡°The child we met at the hospitalst time.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still in contact with them?¡±


    Andrew raised <b>an </b>eyebrow as he remembered that Madelyn had helped a child before. He looked at her skeptically, worried she might have been deceived.


    Madelyn met his gaze and asked<b>, </b>¡°Do you want toe with me? She¡¯s really cute.¡±


    ¡°No. I have something to discuss with Roger. Call me when you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Roger is still at the hospital?¡±


    Andrew nodded.


    Madelyn didn¡¯t insist on him joining her. She took the items from Daniel and headed into


    the hospital.


    Andrew went to Roger¡¯s office. He had heard that Roger nned to stay in the country for a while to expand into a new hospital.


    Madelyn arrived at the ward to find Melinda feeding Serena. Serena saw Madelyn and sweetly called out, Mommy.¡±


    ¡°Serena,¡± Melinda said with a hint of reproach in her voice.


    Madelyn smiled.


    Mommy now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She can call me Mommy now.¡±


    Melinda felt slightly embarrassed. Given how much Madelyn had financially supported them, she assumed Madelyn¡¯s suggestion to make Serena her goddaughter was just to ease the burden of repayment.


    Although Madelyn was kind¨Chearted, Melinda didn¡¯t want to trouble her, This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    After all, Madelyn was a young mistress from a wealthy family, and Melinda didn¡¯t dare to delve into theplexities and heartaches that came with that life. She just felt that nobody in this world had it easy. Madelyn put the items down and hugged Serena.


    ¡°Sweetheart, let Mommy hold you. Why are you so light?¡±


    Despite herck of strength, Madelyn could feel just how petite and fragile Serena was, like a young chick.


    ¡°It¡¯s because of her illness. Her development isn¡¯t great, and she only weighs 17 pounds now,¡± Melinda exined.


    Serena was almost three years old but only weighed 17 pounds. The more Madelyn listened, the more heartbroken she became.


    Madelyn gently pinched Serena¡¯s cheeks.


    I


    27


    ¡°<b>You </b>need to eat more to <b>get </b>stronger and beat this illness<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯ll beat it,¡± Serena said firmly, looking up at Madelyn.


    Madelyn smiled. Serena¡¯s maturity was both touching and heartbre


    ¡°Are you full?¡± Madelyn asked.


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m full,¡± Serena replied, having finished her meal.


    Madelyn carried her to the couch and nced at the several bags on the coffee table.


    ¡°I bought you lots of new clothes. They¡¯re all sanitized. How about we try them on after your bath tonight?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Thank you, Mommy.¡±


    Serena¡¯s doe¨Clike eyes sparkled at the mention of new clothes, making Madelyn¡¯s heart ache even more.


    Melinda stepped forward.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have spent so much.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m her Mommy now, and I love buying things for her.¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s eyes shed with pity as she noticed that Serena¡¯s clothes were the same as the ones she


    worest time.

 Love’ss 189

    hapter 189


    Madelyn couldn¡¯tprehend what was happening to her. She felt an overwhelming urge to provide


    Serena with everything excellent in the world.


    Serena was such a petite being, yet no amount of love and care seemed enough.


    Madelyn had never been particrly fond of children before. Even though she now longed for a child with Andrew, she couldn¡¯t help but wonder why she felt this way toward Serena,


    ¡°Mommy.¡± Serena¡¯s soft voice pulled Madelyn out of her <b>thoughts</b>.


    Madelyn shifted her gaze to Serena.


    ¡°What is it, sweetheart?¡±


    ¡°The dress is pretty.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m d you like it, sweetheart.¡±


    Madelyn couldn¡¯t resist kissing Serena¡¯s adorable face,


    Then she turned to Melinda.


    ¡°I consulted a doctor and brought some nutritional supplements for her. You can follow the instructions I wrote down when giving them to Serena. They¡¯ll be good for her health.¡±


    Madelyn wasn¡¯t sure what Serena could and couldn¡¯t eat,


    so she bought everything based on the rmendations of Serena¡¯s doctor, with precise quantities as advised.


    Melinda recognized the brands of the nutritional supplements. She <b>had </b>wanted to buy them for Serenal before but couldn¡¯t afford them, so she <b>had </b>to make do with the bare essentials.


    Seeing what Madelyn had bought, she nodded gratefully.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll make sure she takes them.¡±


    Madelyn held Serena for a while as she was reluctant to let go. Eventually, Serena fell asleep in her arms.


    Gazing at her long, curly eyshes, Madelyn noticed a resemnce to Andrew.


    She wondered if meeting Serena could be fate.


    Melinda approached.


    ¡°Let¡¯s move her to the bed. She¡¯ll sleep morefortably.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Madelyn agreed.


    Melinda ced Serena on the bed just as a nurse <b>entered </b>with the day¡¯s test reports, which would be needed for the next day¡¯s rounds.


    Madelyn took them, thanked the nurse, and then nced at Serena¡¯sb results. She was shocked to learn that Serena had the rare P blood type, the same as hers. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Is Serena also P blood type?¡± Madelyn asked Melinda.


    Melinda nodded.


    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I¡¯m so concerned <b>about </b>finding a bone marrow match for her.¡±


    People with type P blood were rare, making it incredibly difficult to find apatible donor.


    212


    Madelyn fell silent and clipped the report to the IV stand. With a hint of worry, she looked at Serena, who looked frail in the bed<b>. </b>


    ¡°She¡¯s lost a lot of weight since thest time I saw her


    ¡°She¡¯s been throwing up everything she eats,¡± Melinda said, her voice heavy with sadness.


    Madelyn nodded.


    ¡°Make sure she takes the nutritional supplements. She needs them right now.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡±


    They continued talking for a while as Serena slept.


    Eventually, Melinda asked, ¡°Are you working these days?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Madelyn replied with a note of pride <b>in </b>her voice.


    Melinda¡¯s surprised look caught Madelyn¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Why? Do I not look like I work?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s just unexpected,¡± Melinda answered.


    ¡°Unexpected?¡±


    ¡°Yeah!¡±


    Melinda smiled.


    She had always assumed that socialites didn¡¯t work and just lived off their spouses¡® money. Madelyn¡¯s generosity had led her to believe the same. So, she was surprised to hear that Madelyn mentioned she was working when she called that day.


    With a renewed sense of resolve, Melinda was determined to <b>find </b>a way to repay and show her appreciation for Madelyn.


    Madelyn returned her smile.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing unusual about it. Everyone has their own life and responsibilities. That¡¯s what gives life meaning,¡±


    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Melinda agreed.


    For the first time, Melinda realized that even those in high society could lead meaningful lives. She hadn¡¯t known any other wealthy women, as her focus had been solely on her child since adopting Serena.

 Love’ss 190

    Although Melinda had been working hard over the years, her world felt isted and almost out of touch with society.


    It wasn¡¯t until Andrew called that Madelyn reluctantly got up.


    She leaned over and gently patted Serena¡¯s head, saying to Melinda<b>, </b>¡°If she misses me, just call me.¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re busy with work, just drop by on the weekends when you can,¡± Melinda replied.


    It dawned on her how tough Madelyn¡¯s life must be in the elite circle, especially since she had to work so hard.


    Thinking about her fledgling studio and the uing tasks, Madelyn nodded.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll visit her on the weekends.¡±


    Madelyn exchanged a few more pleasantries with Melinda and was about to leave when Serena woke up. She rubbed her eyes with her small fists.


    She softly called out, ¡°Mommy.¡±


    Both Madelyn and Melinda turned around. Melinda instinctively wanted to reach for Madelyn but noticed Serena was looking at Madelyn.


    Madelyn¡¯s heart melted. She stepped forward and hugged Serena,


    ¡°Sweetheart, I have to go. Be a good girl and listen to your Mommy, okay?¡±


    Seeing the disappointment in Melinda¡¯s eyes, Madelyn tried to redirect Serena¡¯s attention back to her. It was clear from her words how much Melinda had sacrificed for Serena.


    Understanding Madelyn¡¯s intention, Melinda approached and said, ¡°She¡¯s really attached to you. She wouldn¡¯t address anyone before, not even her aunt.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Madelyn was surprised. Then, she remembered what the nurse had said earlier about Serena calling everyone she saw ¡°Mommy¡°.


    Melinda nodded.


    ¡°She¡¯s quite hard to please. No amount of coaxing can get her to talk to anyone when she¡¯s upset. But the first time she saw you, she called you Mommy.¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s heart melted even more, and she hugged Serena tightly.


    Melinda, on the other hand, didn¡¯t mind. She hoped Serena would be more cheerful and confident. When she was raising Serena alone, she had to work so much that she hardly spent time with her. With Madelyn around, Serena¡¯s personality had noticeably brightened.


    ¡°Mommy, can¡¯t you stay?¡± Serena pleaded softly.


    She grabbed Madelyn¡¯s clothes with a tearful look.


    Madelyn held her petite hand, saying, ¡°Sweetheart¡­¡±


    Okay, Mommy. You can go, I¡¯ll be good. Come visit me when you can,¡± Serena sald.


    Madelyn felt a dull ache in her heart. She had caught a glimpse of the fear in Serena¡¯s eyes¨Ca worry that she might be a nuisance or, worse, forgotten.


    She hugged Serena and promised, ¡°I¡¯lle see you every day. I promise, okay?¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Let¡¯s make a pinky promise,¡± Madelyn coaxed gently.


    Serena extended her finger and shed a seemingly threatening look on her face.


    Madelyn linked her pinky with Serena¡¯s and <b>said</b>, ¡°Tell me, what do you want to eat for breakfast tomorrow? I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±


    ¡°I want eggs, pancakes, and¡­¡±


    Serena listed a bunch of things.


    Madelyn poked her tummy and said, ¡°That¡¯s a lot. Are you sure you can eat all that?¡± Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Mommy will eat with me.<b>¡± </b>


    As Serena finished speaking, she turned to grab Melinda¡¯s hand.


    Melinda¡¯s eyes softened, and Madelyn smiled, touched by how considerate Serena was¨Cproof of Melinda¡¯s good parenting.


    22


    Madelyn had to leave after Andrew called for the second time. As she approached the car, she noticed Roger behind the wheel.


    She paused and looked closely. It was indeed Andrew¡¯s car.


    Seeing her look at him suspiciously, Rogerined, ¡°Andrew is in the back. What? You wouldn¡¯t get in if it weren¡¯t his car?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Madelyn nodded, then reached for the back door.


    Roger smirked and teased, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ever keep a lookout for Easton like this? If you¡¯d been this cautious before, you and Andrew might already have kids running around.¡±


    Easton and kids¨CRoger¡¯s words hit both of Madelyn¡¯s sore spots. She climbed into the car after suppressing the urge to kick him out of the car.


    Chap¨¦e 191

 Love’ss 191

    Chapter <b>191 </b>


    Andrew was urgently dealing with emails on hisputer when Madelyn got into the car.


    He turned to Roger, who was in the driver¡¯s <b>seat</b>, and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t mess with her.¡±


    His tone was sharp. After all, Easton and the topic of having a child were sensitive subjects for him.


    away from Part of the reason he agreed to set up a demanding studio for Madelyn was to shift her focus. away wanting a child, astely, she¡¯d been treating a blood clot in her brain while also being heavily involved in another child¡¯s issues.


    Andrew worried she was putting too much pressure on herself, so he encouraged her to work to redirect her attention.


    ¡°Look at how protective you are. I can¡¯t even say a word!¡± Roger replied.


    Andrew and Madelyn ignored him.


    Andrew took Madelyn¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡±


    ¡°Do you guys have a meetingter?¡± Madelyn asked.


    She noticed Roger was driving, which likely meant they had business to discuss.


    Andrew nodded.


    ¡°Yeah, we do.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go home,¡± Madelyn said after checking the time.


    Even though it was her first day at work and she wasn¡¯t particrly busy<b>, </b>she felt tired. Unlike before, when she could rest whenever she wanted<b>, </b>she now <b>found </b>it inconvenient to do anything at work.


    Andrew agreed. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    *Alright. Let¡¯s go home.¡±


    Andrew <b>then </b>called Kevin to inform him that they weren¡¯t <b>heading </b>to Moonlit Restaurant.


    Madelyn felt relieved she had suggested going home after learning Kevin would be joining them. Otherwise, she would have felt out of ce among the three serious men.


    When they arrived at Serenity Vi, dinner was already on the table. David had quickly prepared it, anticipating their arrival.


    Madelyn quickly ate and retreated to her room, leaving the three men to discuss business over dinner.


    Once she left, Kevin looked seriously at Andrew and asked, ¡°Has she really cut ties with Easton?¡±


    Roger had been wanting to ask the same question, While abroad, he and Kevin had heard about Madelyn wanting to divorce Andrew and even attempted suicide because of Easton,


    The ordeal had shown how determined Madelyn was to leave Andrew and how important Easton was to her. But now, she seemed entirely devoted to Andrew.


    Kevin and <b>Roger</b><b>, </b>who hadn¡¯t seen Madelyn in years, worried she might not be the same person they <b>once </b>knew and was deceiving Andrew.


    Given Elijah¡¯s constant scheming, if Madelyn were betraying Andrew, she could be an insider nted by Elijah and Easton.


    Andrew nodded.


    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s


    done with him


    2/2


    Despite Kevin and Roger¡¯s doubts, Andrew trusted Madelyn fully. With Easton openly involved with Elena, Madelyn seemed genuinely unfazed, <b>which </b>didn¡¯t appear to be <b>an </b>act.


    Kevin looked at Andrew seriously.


    ¡°Elijah is back in the country, and Easton is his son. Keep your guard up.¡±


    This was also a caution against being too trusting of Madelyn.


    Roger agreed with Kevin. Elijah had used Easton¡¯s rtionship with Madelyn over


    the years to secretly steal many of Andrew¡¯s projects. After all, some projects that should have gone to the Garcia family ended up with Elijah.


    Elijah was cunning, and Madelyn¡¯s sudden change could be part of his n<b>. </b>


    Roger grew increasingly worried and said, ¡°Listen to Kevin. After all, Maddie isn¡¯t the same as she was when she was a child. Don¡¯t trust her blindly.¡±


    Meanwhile, Madelyn returned to her room upstairs. She nned to take a bath, but Carrie¡¯s call came in.


    On the phone, Carrieined, ¡°Maddie, you¡¯re really killing me here. Jackson is now acting like he¡¯s going to murder me.¡±


    Madelyn gasped.

 Love’ss 192

    Madelyn¡¯s head throbbed<b>. </b>


    ¡°So, what¡¯s your n now?¡±


    ¡°I never should have listened to you,¡± Carrie snapped.


    ¡°Given Mrs. Sinir¡¯s temperament, she¡¯ll definitely want to throw you in jail, and not even Jackson will be able to save you.¡±


    She questioned if Jackson would protect her<b>, </b>given what she had done to Sophia before.


    Madelyn thought Carrie had no choice but to run. She figured that even though Carrie was being chased, at least she was free. The more Madelyn pondered it, the more she felt they <b>had </b>made the right choice.


    But then Carrie¡¯s following words hit her like a punch to the gut.


    ¡°The problem is, I¡¯m pregnant now. He¡¯s been chasing me so much I haven¡¯t even had time to go to the hospital!¡±


    Madelyn was stunned.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°If I keep running away from him, I¡¯ll have to give birth to this baby any time soon.¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s mind raced. She tried to recall when Carrie fell pregnant in her previous life <b>and </b>reckoned that it was muchter.


    It seemed that with Madelyn¡¯s rebirth, things had changed, and Carrie was now pregnant with Jackson¡¯s child earlier than expected.


    But no matter what had changed, Madelyn was determined to protect Andrew and prevent Easton from harming him again.


    ¡°Do you not want the baby?¡± Madelyn asked after taking a sharp breath.


    Her question made Carrie explode with anger.


    ¡°Of course not! It was <b>just </b>a fling. There¡¯s no way I¡¯d have a baby with him!¡±


    Madelyn was speechless. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    *If it was just a fling, why were you with him for so long?


    Based on what she knew about Carrie, the rtionship wouldn¡¯tst more than a month if Carrie weren¡¯t serious, and sometimes she¡¯d dump the guy after just a week.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because he¡¯s awful!¡± Carrie fumed.


    Now Jackson¡¯s people were keeping a close eye on her. Even if she managed to shake them off, they¡¯d find her again in no time. So, getting an abortion was nearly impossible.


    Madelyn didn¡¯t expect that her advice for Carrie to run would lead to such a mess.


    ¡°So, what are you going to do?¡±


    Either way, Carrie didn¡¯t want this baby. The problem was there was no time for an abortion.


    Always sharp and quick¨Cwitted, Carrie found herself entangled in trouble with Jackson again.


    Seeing Carrie too angry to speak, Madelyn asked cautiously, ¡°Should we get Jackson to back off so you


    have time to get the abortion?¡±


    ¡°Are you out of your mind? Andrew has really spoiled you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe my brain is fried. But seriously, what should we do now?¡±


    In all her years with Andrew, nothing had been worse for Madelyn than Elena and Easton¡¯s schemes. Carrie¡¯s tangled mess was more than she could handle. If she had more experience, she never would have suggested Carrie run from Jackson in the first ce.


    Carrie seethed.


    ¡°What should we do? Madelyn, if this baby is born, I¡¯m leaving it with you. I mean it!¡±


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll take care of it!¡±


    Carrie got even angrier when she heard this.


    ¡°Are you dumb?¡±


    Before Madelyn could respond, Carrie angrily hung up the phone.


    Madelyn¡¯s mind raced with thoughts about Carrie¡¯s pregnancy. She thought about how Carrie could


    survive Jackson¡¯s pursuit while pregnant. She couldn¡¯t believe Jackson was still furious after all this time and seemed intent on killing Carrie.


    She questioned if there was something wrong with Sophie.


    Madelyn called Grace, who answered quickly.


    ¡°Maddie, what¡¯s up? Do you miss me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I miss you. How <b>has </b>Mrs. Sinir beentely?¡±


    ¡°I heard she got hurt but was already discharged from the hospital. She was ying poker with her friends yesterday. Why the sudden interest?¡±


    Madelyn was relieved to hear it wasn¡¯t life¨Cthreatening, but she grew even more puzzled. She wondered why Jackson was still chasing Carrie around the world if Sophie was fine.

 Love’ss 193

    It was already 11:00 pm when Andrew went upstairs. At the sight of Madelyn¡¯s gloomy expression, he recalled <b>what </b>Roger and Kevin had said earlier, and his gaze darkened<b>. </b>


    He approached her and wrapped her in his arms,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Who¡¯s upset you, darling?¡±


    With Easton and Elijah¡¯s situation looking grim, he wondered if she could have possibly been worried about them. The thought made Andrew¡¯s breath catch slightly.


    Madelyn grabbed his wrist and turned to face him while her hands instinctively wrapped around his waist.


    ¡°Darling, has Jackson lost his mind? Mrs. Sinir is fine now, so why is he still going after Carrie?¡±


    Andrew was taken aback to learn that she was upset because of Carrie, not Easton. The tension in his chest eased slightly.


    Madelyn always made his heart race. He smoothed her slightly messy hair.


    ¡°Did Carrie call you?¡±


    Madelyn nodded.


    ¡°Yes, she did. She said she¡¯s pregnant now, and Jackson is chasing her so closely behind that she doesn¡¯t even have time to go to the hospital.¡±


    Madelyn grew increasingly worried at the thought of Carrie. In her previous life, when Carrie was pregnant, her rtionship with Jackson had been great.


    Although Madelyn didn¡¯t know what happened to them afterward, the situation was clearly tense andpletely different from before. Madelyn was genuinely worried that the good things that had shifted could lead to bad oues.


    Andrew finally understood why Madelyn was so worried about Carrie.


    ¡°She¡¯s pregnant? With Jackson¡¯s child?¡±


    Andrew knew very well what kind of person Carrie was. Despite being different from Madelyn, it didn¡¯t affect their peaceful coexistence. Now that Madelyn said Carrie was pregnant, Andrew was very skeptical about the child¡¯s paternity.


    ¡°It¡¯s Jackson¡¯s,¡± Madelyn asserted. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡®Does Jackson know?¡±


    ¡®He probably doesn¡¯t. Carrie is avoiding him as much as possible.¡±


    She had mentioned telling Jackson, but Carrie simply shapped at her earlier.


    ¡°Tell her to inform Jackson. Maybe for the child¡¯s sake, Jackson and Mrs. Sinir will let her off.¡±


    Madelyn disagreed with his idea. Although she did suggest Carrie try telling Jackson, Andrew didn¡¯t understand Jackson. He was cold and ruthless.


    There had been some sort of agreement between him and Carrie when they were together. In her previous life, the <b>agreement </b>had been torn up when Carrie had his child. Now, that agreement likely still existed. The conditions clearly stated <b>that </b>Carrie couldn¡¯t fall for him or bear his child<b>. </b>


    The thought gave Madelyn a headache..


    Chap 193


    2/2


    ¡°Alright. Carrie may be unreliable, but she¡¯s quite experienced in handling things. You don¡¯t have to worry


    about her.¡±


    Andrew was right. Seeing how effortlessly Carrie managed her work proved she was adept at social dealings. Now that she had just discovered she was pregnant, she was unsettled and had called Madelyn. But once she calmed down, she would surely know how to handle the situation.


    Andrew noticed Madelyn was still wearing her work clothes. He helped her take them off and then carried her to the bathroom.


    Madelyn¡¯s worries about Carrie were thoroughly disrupted by Andrew, leaving her no energy to think about anything else.


    The next morning, Andrew noticed her packing some food into a lunch box at breakfast and frowned.


    ¡°Are you taking that to eat at the office?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s for Serena.¡±


    ¡°The kid you met at the hospital?¡±


    Andrew raised an eyebrow. He was surprised that Madelyn cared so much about the child.


    Madelyn nodded.


    ¡°She said she missed me yesterday. So, if you¡¯re busy in the morning, you can go ahead. I¡¯ll drive myself to the hospital first and then to the office.¡±


    Andrew¡¯s eyes shed with displeasure as he sensed that Madelyn might be getting deceived.


    But he didn¡¯t press further since she was simply covering a child¡¯s medical bills.


    He checked the time and said, ¡°I have an urgent meeting soon, so I can¡¯t wait for you. Have the driver take you.¡±

 Love’ss 194

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I can drive myself,¡± Madelyn replied to Andrew.


    Madelyn was an excellent driver, and having a driver might raise unnecessary questions among her colleagues. She preferred to avoid trouble and exnations whenever possible.


    Andrew trusted her skills and nodded. Rowan drove him out while Madelyn drove herself to the hospital.


    At the hospital, Serena was having breakfast. Melinda was surprised that Madelyn had taken the time to bring Serena some food.


    Seeing Madelyn, Serena stretched out her slender arms.


    ¡°Mommy, hug me.¡±


    She found Serena¡¯s adorable expression heartwarming,


    Madelyn handed the breakfast to Melinda, then scooped Serena up and asked lovingly, ¡°Did you miss me?


    ¡°Yes, I missed you.¡±


    Madelyn smiled, ruffled her hair, and nced at the hospital breakfast Melinda had bought from downstairs. It was just in toast and an egg. It looked appetizing, but the portion was too small.


    Melinda opened thevish breakfast Madelyn had brought..


    ¡°You¡¯ve brought too much food. Serena won¡¯t finish it all.¡±


    ¡°I brought some for you too. You both should eat together.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten.¡±


    Madelyn sat while holding Serena.


    Melinda served the chicken noodle soup. The enticing aroma made people drool.


    Madelyn needed to go to work but couldn¡¯t bring herself to leave when she saw Serena clinging to her. She squeezed Serena¡¯s soft hand.


    ¡°I will feed you, okay?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Okay, Mommy.¡±


    Serena nodded obediently.


    Melinda asked worriedly, ¡°Won¡¯t you bete for work? I can feed her.¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    She reached out to carry Serena.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll stay with her for ten more <b>minutes</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Alright then.¡±


    Melinda ced a small bowl before Serena and handed Madelyn the spoon.


    Serena could feed herself, but Melinda had pampered her when she had time since she was such a


    sensible child


    The chicken noodle soup was now warm after its journey from Madelyn¡¯s home to the hospital. Madelyn


    scooped a spoonful and held it to Serena¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Here. Open wide<b>.</b>¡±


    2/2


    Serena ate obediently, looking incredibly endearing. She seemed to know that Madelyn had to go to work, so she ate quickly.


    ¡°Slow down. There¡¯s no need to rush.¡±


    At the sight of Serena being so well¨Cbehaved, Madelyn¡¯s voice grew even softer.


    After about ten minutes, Madelyn reluctantly left Serena and hurried out of the hospital to head to the studio.


    However, she ran into Easton in the lobby. Seeing him first thing in the morning was sickening, and she instinctively wanted to avoid him<b>. </b>


    Easton also noticed her. He called <b>out </b>her name gently before approaching and trying to take her hand. Madelyn fumed. Her blood boiled instantly. She was so angry that even her breathing quickened.


    She punched Easton right in the face.


    She couldn¡¯t understand how he could still act so intimate with her after being punched so many times before. Words were useless with someone as repulsive as him<b>. </b>A direct hit was the best approach. With his mouth bleeding, Easton looked at Madelyn in shock.


    ¡°You¡­¡±


    His eyes were filled with disbelief. He never expected the once gentle Madelyn to hit him like a lunatic and with such force.

 Love’ss 195

    Chapter <b>195 </b>


    Madelyn pulled out a tissue, wiped her palms, and then threw it in Easton¡¯s face with disdain.


    ¡°Scumbag<b>!</b>¡± she cursed.


    Easton¡¯s chest heaved with anger. Madelyn turned <b>and </b>walked away, but Easton caught up as she reached her car, and he slipped into the passenger seat


    Madelyn¡¯s eyes narrowed.


    ¡°Do you want me to kill you right now?¡± she asked icily.


    Easton didn¡¯t budge. His voice was unusually firm.


    ¡°Maddie, we need to talk.¡±


    Roger had just stepped out of his car when he saw Easton in Madelyn¡¯s vehicle. A cold glint shed in <b>his </b>eyes. He was about to intervene when his phone rang.


    He nced at the caller ID, then at Madelyn¡¯s car, and finally decided not to approach.


    Inside the car, Madelyn stared coldly at Easton.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting out? Fine!¡±


    Easton couldn¡¯t gauge what her words meant, but her dangerous tone sent chills down his spine. Before he could react, Madelyn pulled a bottle from the glovepartment and sprayed it wildly in his eyes.


    Easton screamed as the burning sensation blinded him


    Madelyn got out, opened the passenger door, and yanked Easton out before tossing him to the ground, He curled up in pain with his face contorted in agony. Without a backward nce, Madelyn returned to her car and sped off.


    Roger, still on the phone, watched in shock as Madelyn ruthlessly left the bloodied Easton on the ground. He was stunned into silence.


    He had previously doubted whether Madelyn had indeed severed ties with Easton, but after witnessing that scene, he believed it. This was brutal.


    Andrew was in a meeting at Miller Group when his phone buzzed. He nced at the message, and his pupils were blow


    wide.


    The atmosphere in the conference room froze as everyone exchanged confused looks.


    Andrew stared at the two photos on his phone. One showed Easton and Madelyn holding hands in the hospital lobby, and the other showed Easton getting into her car. Rage surged through him.


    He questioned if this was the reason she went to the hospital.


    ¡°Rowan!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Mr. Miller?¡± Rowan asked, ncing up from the meeting notes.


    His pulse quickened as he met Andrew¡¯s cold, threatening gaze.


    Andrew¡¯s forehead veins throbbed ominously. He stood abruptly, and the chair crashed to <b>the </b>floor, elerating everyone¡¯s heartbeats.


    Rowan hurried after Andrew as thetter stormed out of the conference room and headed toward the elevator.


    Andrew¡¯s phone buzzed, with Madelyn¡¯s name shing on the screen. He answered it, and her cheerful voice came through.


    ¡°Hey, darling. Are you still at the office?¡±


    Andrew gritted his teeth, wondering if she was upbeat because of Easton.


    ¡°Where are you?¡±


    ¡°In the car.¡±


    ¡°Where are you headed?¡±


    ¡°To the studio. Why?¡±


    Madelyn detected something off in Andrew¡¯s tone but chose not to pursue it.


    ¡°Come to the office now. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m swamped today,¡± Madelyn replied without hesitation.


    She was telling the truth. The studio was indeed chaotic that day.


    Andrew stood by the elevator, feeling a wave of frustration wash over him at her refusal. He abruptly ended the call, turned on his heel, and returned to his office.


    Rowan followed anxiously. Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    Inside the office, Andrew¡¯s face was set in a grim line.


    ¡°Make sure Easton never sees the light of day again.¡±


    From Andrew¡¯smand, Rowan understood it was time to move against Horizon


    They had initially only nned to deal with Horizon International Group, but Elijah¡¯s return hadplicated matters. Elijah was not to be underestimated.


    al Group.


    Andrew had intended to uncover Elijah¡¯s ns before taking action, but now he couldn¡¯t bear to wait any longer.


    Rowan quickly understood the gravity of the situation and nodded.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take care of it immediately.¡±


    With that, he left to carry out the orders.

 Love’ss 196

    Andrew let his frustration fill the room when the office emptied. He hurled his phone against the desk with a sharp crash,


    Meanwhile, Madelyn, who was still driving, was perplexed by Andrew¡¯s abrupt hang¨Cup of their phone call. Andrew seemed seriously upset, but she had no idea why.


    Determined to resolve the situation, she tried to call him back, but his phone was switched off.


    ¡°Unbelievable,¡± <b>Madelyn </b>muttered to herself.


    Just as she was about to call Rowan to figure out what was going on, Emma¡¯s call came through.


    She answered, ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Carter is at the office and needs you here as soon as possible for an urgent meeting.¡± Emma informed her.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Madelyn replied. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew knew she preferred to sleep in, so he¡¯d arranged her work hours to start at 11:00 am. But Jessie, ever diligent, had called a meeting early in the morning


    When Madelyn arrived at the office, Jessie summoned her and Emma into her office to announce that two projects had been signed overnight.


    With only the two of them in the design department, they needed to start immediately.


    ¡°How about the project with South Star?¡± Emma asked.


    Jessie replied, ¡°Put them on hold. Focus on the signed contracts first.¡±


    The South Star project had been their fallback due to ack of other work, but priorities had now shifted.


    Both Emma and Madelyn nodded in agreement.


    Jessie handed them the project material


    and stressed that she expected drafts by the end of the day.


    The deadline was tight, but Jessie¡¯s standards were always high.


    Emma and Madelyn threw themselves into their work, and Madelyn soon forgot about Andrew¡¯s call. He, too, made no further attempts to contact her for the rest of the day.


    In the afternoon, Andrew nced at his untouched phone. Sensing the tension, Rowan tried to call Madelyn, but she didn¡¯t pick up.


    ¡°Mr. Miller, the investigation has begun,¡± Rowan reported.


    Andrew took a drag of his cigarette and remained silent.


    Meanwhile, Rowan debated whether to text Madelyn. It <b>was </b>the end of the workday, and Andrew wasn¡¯t nning to pick her up from work. Rowan found this unusual and worrying. His concern grew as he wondered what could have triggered Andrew¡¯s sudden change in behavior.


    Finally, at 7:00 pm, Rowan¡¯s phone rang. When he saw Madelyn¡¯s name sh across his phone screen, he felt a jolt of both relief <b>and </b><b>dread</b>.


    He thought that Andrew might shut down her studio in a fit of <b>rage </b>if this wasn¡¯t sorted out soon,


    Tension


    gripped Rowan as he nced at Andrew, and then he answered the call, ¡°Mrs. Miller.¡±


    Chart 196


    The fact that Madelyn was on the other end of the line only seemed to heighten Andrew¡¯s fury.


    ¡°What¡¯s with Andrew¡¯s phone? Why has it been off all day?¡± Madelyn asked, puzzled.


    She had just submitted her draft and was ready to leave, only to find Andrew¡¯s phone still turned off.


    Rowan nervously gulped as Andrew grabbed his coat and stormed out. Thetter was clearly uninterested in any talk about Madelyn.


    ¡°You need to head to the underground parking lot. Mr. Miller is really upset,¡± Rowan said urgently.


    ¡°Huh?<b>¡± </b>


    Madelyn was caught off guard. Then she remembered Andrew¡¯s frustration during their morning call but couldn¡¯t recall why he was upset.


    Rowan continued, ¡°Did you do something to upset him today? Just get to the parking lot now.¡±


    There was no time for exnations. The call made it clear that whatever was going on was directly rted to Madelyn.


    Realizing the urgency, Madelyn started running through her day in her mind. She hadn¡¯t done anything. notable except for her encounter with Easton at the hospital, where he had been unusually friendly


    She wondered if Easton could have staged their meeting to stir up trouble.


    Feeling a knot of worry in her stomach, Madelyn quickly gathered her things and rushed out of the office.

 Love’ss 197

    By the time Madelyn reached the underground parking lot, she saw Andrew¡¯s car speed away like a bullet, leaving behind a cloud of acrid exhaust.


    Her face darkened involuntarily.


    Rowan appeared just in time to catch Madelyn¡¯s frustrated expression. While he didn¡¯t like watching her argue with Andrew, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a twinge of satisfaction seeing Andrew leave her behind.


    After all, she had been such a drama¡® queen before. Andrew forgave her too quickly, which seemed unfair.


    Madelyn¡¯s tone turned icy when she noticed Rowan¡¯s struggle to stifle augh.


    ¡°Are you enjoying this?¡±


    Rowan shrugged.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    Madelyn was now certain that Andrew was genuinely angry and had probably been upset since the morning.


    She red at Rowan.


    ¡°Why is he mad?¡±


    Rowan replied, ¡°If you don¡¯t know, how should I?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re really¡­¡± Madelyn fumed, at a loss for words.


    She regretted not leaving Rowan stranded in that desert forever.


    She wondered why she allowed someone like him to return to taunt her.


    Rowan genuinely didn¡¯t know why Andrew was angry, but upon seeing Madelyn¡¯s confusion, he offered, Do you want me to help you figure it out?¡±


    ¡°Why would you be so kind?¡± Madelyn questioned, skeptical.


    Since she married Andrew, Rowan had been resentful and would have relished seeing Andrew walk away. She questioned his intentions to help her out.


    Noticing her doubt, Rowan dropped his yful facade and said thoughtfully, ¡°Because you helped Andrew before. I¡¯ll return the favor.¡±


    He was referring to the incident at the Lotivale warehouse. Rowan hadn¡¯t expected Madelyn to be so stubborn back then. If Elijah had seeded that day, Madelyn and Andrew¡¯s rtionship would have ended.


    That was when Rowan started to believe Madelyn genuinely wanted to be with Andrew and wasn¡¯t simply putting on an act.


    Madelyn shook her head.


    ¡°No need.¡±


    She had a pretty good idea why Andrew was mad. Her priority was to calm him down, and her second was to tear Easton apart.


    She turned and walked to her car. Fortunately, she had driven herself that day. Otherwise, she would have had to call a cab. Despite Andrew being mad at her, she still felt wronged since he¡¯d simply left her behind.


    Charyh Chap 197


    After taking several steps, Madelyn remembered something and turned back to Rowan.


    ¡°By the way, locate Easton for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still going to meet him?¡± Rowan asked with a grim expression.


    Given how angry Andrew was, Rowan could guess why


    After all, Andrew only lost his cool about things when it came to Madelyn and Easton..


    Madelyn¡¯s eyes zed. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to kill him!¡±


    With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Rowan stunned. It was clear now that Madelyn and Easton were truly over. Her fierce determination spoke volumes.


    Earlier, when Andrew said he wanted Easton in jail, Rowan had known it was a decision made in a moment of rage. They needed topletely root out Elijah¡¯s group, so he hadn¡¯t followed Andrew¡¯s order.


    Madelyn was now asking about Easton, Rowan didn¡¯t know where Easton was but thought that letting her handle thetter first might be a good call.


    Andrew returned to Serenity Vi with his demeanor as cold as ice.


    Roger had been waiting for half an hour.


    Seeing Andrew return alone, he hesitated before asking, ¡°Where¡¯s Maddie?¡±


    The mention of Madelyn only darkened Andrew¡¯s expression further. Ignoring Roger¡¯s question, he went straight to the liquor cab, grabbed an open bottle, and took several gulps straight from it, bypassing the ss entirely.

 Love’ss 198

    Roger inhaled sharply at the sight and grabbed Andrew¡¯s wrist to stop him.


    ¡°What are you doing<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°Roger, should I just let Madelyn go?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°The idiot Elijah raised was useless, but she still can¡¯t move on from him. If I send her abroad, can that loser really take care of her?¡±


    Andrew thought Easton was nothing more than a worthless coward. After all, thetter would even tremble at just a cold look from him. Andrew couldn¡¯t understand why someone as promising as Madelyn, whom he had personally nurtured, would settle for someone like Easton,


    Roger stared at Andrew in disbelief.


    ¡°Could you bring yourself to do so?¡±


    Andrew grew more irritable.


    in pushed Roger¡¯s hand away to take several more swigs from his bottle.


    Seeing Andrew¡¯s reaction, Roger guessed it was rted to this morning¡¯s events. Knowing that Madelyn had a way of sweet¨Ctalking Andrew, Roger had kept quiet. But now it seemed Madelyn hadn¡¯t exined anything, or maybe Andrew¡¯s distrust had made her angry, too.


    Without a second thought, Roger snatched the empty bottle from Andrew¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Enough. Stop drinking!¡±


    ¡°If she wants to be with Easton, fine! I¡¯ll let her go! She¡¯s such an ungrateful brat. Why should I care?¡±


    Roger was at a loss for words. Looking at the empty bottle in his hand, he sighed and pulled out his phone to show Andrew a photo of Easton curled up on the ground, looking pathetic.


    Andrew frowned but didn¡¯t take the phone.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°See for yourself,¡± Roger said.


    Andrew nced at Roger, then down at the photo. Easton was clutching his bruised face with both hands. Andrew was perplexed. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    ¡°Who did this to him?¡±


    ¡°Ask Maddie.¡±


    Roger took the phone back. He wondered if Andrew had genuinely been moping all day without hearing Madelyn¡¯s side of the story.


    Just mentioning Madelyn made Andrew¡¯s breathing morebored.


    Roger took a deep breath and added, ¡°She roughed him up pretty badly.¡±


    ¡°She did?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? It happened this morning at the hospital entrance. She might look delicate, but she¡¯s got a fierce side. She nearly took Easton out.¡±


    Andrew looked stunned. The anger in his eyes faded, reced by aplex mix of guilt <b>and </b>surprise.


    Charter 198


    Roger couldn¡¯t resist teasing him at the sight of Andrew¡¯s sudden change.


    ¡°You¡¯re really going to let Maddie end up with that coward?¡±


    ¡°No way!¡± Andrew replied as he headed for the door.


    Roger threw the empty bottle aside and caught up with Andrew.


    ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re nning to drive after downing a bottle!¡±


    Roger knew Madelyn¡¯s studio was right next to Andrew¡¯s office building. He pondered if Andrew had left Madelyn there and returned on his own. Roger suspected that Andrew was now feeling guilty from that.


    Andrew rubbed his temples and tossed the car keys to Roger.


    ¡°You drive.¡±


    Roger took the keys, but before they could leave, bright headlights shone outside. Madelyn¡¯s Bugatti had already pulled in.


    Roger smirked.


    ¡°It looks Hke she¡¯s back to settle the score.¡±


    After handing the keys back to Andrew, Roger quickly made his exit as he did not want to get caught up in Madelyn¡¯s fury.

 Love’ss 199

    Chapter <b>199 </b>


    Madelyn stepped out of the car. Her gaze was heavy with both grievance and resentment. Andrew, still simmering from the earlier incident, softened when he saw her.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he said, extending his arms.


    Madelyn held her ground, her eyes glistening with tears. The sight of her tears prompted Andrew to quickly close the distance between them and pull her into a tight embrace.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, darling.¡± Andrew murmured gently against her ear.


    Still upset, Madelyn pinched his waist sharply. Andrew¡¯s lean, muscr frame barely budged.


    He chuckled softly and gently rubbed her hand with tenderness.


    ¡°Did I hurt your hand?¡± he asked, his tone softening.


    Madelyn¡¯s voice trembled with emotion.


    ¡°You left me alone and ran off. Don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡±


    Andrew¡¯s heart twisted at her words. He cradled the back of her head and kissed her deeply. How could he ever not want her?


    Madelyn was the one he had nurtured and cherished all these years. He could never bring himself to let


    her go.


    The scent of alcohol made Madelyn shift ufortably, but Andrew¡¯s embrace tightened, and his kiss became more insistent and demanding.


    Madelyn¡¯s anger and hurt red as she recalled how he had abandoned her in the dark underground parking lot without giving her a chance to exin. In frustration, she bit down hard <b>on </b>his cold lips.


    Andrew winced and released her. He yfully tweaked her nose.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had such a wild side.¡±


    Earlier, when she had confronted Easton <b>and </b>Elena at Serenity Vi, he <b>had </b>thought she was just putting


    on a show.


    After all, Easton wouldn¡¯t dare touch her in front of Serenity Vi, and Elena would always maintain her elegant facade. They wouldn¡¯t have resorted to physical harm.


    But seeing the photo on Roger¡¯s phone had made Andrew realize that Madelyn was a true force to be reckoned with. She was sharp¨Ctoothed and fierce.


    Madelyn huffed.


    ¡°You left me alone in the parking lot.¡±


    She tried to pull away from Andrew¡¯s embrace, but her small outburst only softened Andrew¡¯s heart further. He lifted her effortlessly <b>and </b>carried her inside.


    Madelyn struggled. Embarrassed by the amused nces from David and the housekeepers, she buried her face in Andrew¡¯s chest.


    Andrew¡¯s smile widened as he looked at the shy Madelyn in his arms. His Initial irritation had faded, reced by a surge of guilt that made him want tofort her.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten,¡± Madelyn protested as Andrew carried her upstairs.


    2/2 N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    A little tipsy, Andrew grinned mischievously and leaned in to whisper in her ear, ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll make sure you <b>get </b>plenty to eat tonight.¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s face flushed at his suggestive tone. She pinched his arm and tried to wriggle free.


    I¡¯m really hungry. I need to eat now.¡±


    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s eat,¡± Andrew agreed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even have lunch, Madelyn said pitifully.


    Andrew paused. The effects of the alcohol cleared momentarily as he met her tearful eyes.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you have lunch?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t invite me! I tried calling you, but your phone was turned off.¡±


    Although she had only called him in the morning and after work, she was sure Andrew¡¯s phone had been off all day. She had been too busy at lunchtime and forgot to eat because Emma hadn¡¯t gone to lunch either.


    Andrew sobered uppletely when he saw how distressed Madelyn was. He stopped heading upstairs and turned toward the dining room instead.


    Madelyn sighed in relief. She had been hungry all day and wouldn¡¯t have been able to endure his teasing. In the dining room, a feast of all Madelyn¡¯s favorite dishes awaited them. Andrew sat with her still in hisp.


    ¡°I¡¯d like to sit on my own, Madelyn said as she wriggled.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t we always eat like this? Be good. No more tantrums, okay?¡±


    Andrew held her close as he was unwilling to let go.


    Knowing how upset Madelyn was, Andrew wanted to make it up to her and couldn¡¯t bring himself to release her.


    Madelyn huffed again.


    <b>¡°</b>You left without me!¡±

 Love’ss 200

    Andrew sighed. He decided that in the future, he would always ask first, regardless of what happens. Otherwise, he¡¯d have to do the soothing himself if he angered Madelyn.


    Sensing the tension, David quickly ushered the housekeepers downstairs<b>, </b>leaving Andrew and Madelyn alone in the dining room.


    Andrew didn¡¯t bother hiding his affection.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, darling. I was wrong. It won¡¯t happen again. Are we okay now?¡±


    ¡°You hung up on me too.¡±


    Madelyn pouted. The fact that he ended their call earlier, something he¡¯d never done before, lingered in


    her mind.


    Andrew¡¯s head throbbed. He knew he <b>was </b>at fault. If he¡¯d known, he would have confronted Easton directly that day. He quietly scolded himself for being upset with her.


    ¡°Yes. From now on, no matter what happens, I¡¯ll be the one to hang upst. Can we agree not to be angry. anymore, darling?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Madelyn left it at that. She knew Andrew always lost his temper over Easton, so she decided not to push further.


    Still<b>, </b>she promised herself <b>she¡¯d </b>handle Easton on her own.


    Andrew breathed a sigh of relief when Madelyn finally gave in.


    ¡°Did you really not have lunch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I was waiting for you to call, but you ignored me


    Andrew felt even more remorseful. Madelyn seemed still a child at heart. From now on, no matter how upset he was, he needed to ensure she was cared for.


    It might seem indulgent, but who was to me? They had both grown ustomed to it. He could only continue to spoil her.


    After dinner, Andrew personally helped Madelyn shower, mindful of how he¡¯d upset her earlier.


    ¡°Darling, I¡¯m thinking of cutting my hair,¡± Madelyn suddenly said as Andrew dried her hair.


    Andrew¡¯s hand holding the dryer trembled.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s too long and thick. It takes forever to dry after washing.¡±


    Her long, voluminous hair took forever to dry after a wash, which Madelyn found a real hassle.


    ¡°No cutting,¡± Andrew insisted firmly, brooking no argument.


    He¡¯d watched her grow her hair out under his care and wasn¡¯t ready to see it go.


    Madelyn hadn¡¯t expected Andrew to be so firm and dominant and huffed, ¡°Then you should dry it for me every day.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    2/2


    Andrew nodded.


    Madelyn smiled sweetly. Her heart warmed up as his slender fingersbed through her hair delicately, as he was mindful not to cause any difort.


    She couldn¡¯t help but think about how much time she had wasted in her past life. The idea that she had squandered it arguing with him made her even more frustrated with Easton.


    Noticing her silence, Andrew turned off the hair dryer and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°I think my IQ must have taken a dive for me to fall for someone like Easton. It had to have been some sort of scheme between him and Elena.¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Yeah, you did say you trusted Elena too much,¡± Andrew recalled, remembering how Madelyn had distanced herself from him based on Elena¡¯s maniption.


    Madelyn nodded.


    *Exactly!¡±


    Elena¡¯s maniptions had led her to believe that Andrew was involved with other women. However, she couldn¡¯t quite recall how Elena had managed to convince her to think that she was in love with Easton.


    Andrew scooped her up and headed toward the bed.


    ¡°We¡¯ve almost cleared out the Garcia family¡¯s belongings. What do you want to do about Elena?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll handle her myself!¡± Madelyn dered.


    She wouldn¡¯t let Andrew handle Elena, not when his approach might be too straightforward that Elena would be let off too easily.

 Love’ss 201

    After that, Miller Group took back all the projects that they had given to the


    Garcias.


    The Garcias had invested arge amount of funds in several of the


    projects, and the sudden cancetion of the projects plunged them heavily


    into debt.


    The Garcias only had two projects, so they didn¡¯t lose too much. Once they paid off their debts, at worst, they would just be an average family.


    On the other hand, Caleb suffered heavy losses because of his greed. He got several projects through Madelyn in the past, but now that Garcia Group was frozen, everything was stuck. He ended up saddled with an


    enormous debt!


    The Garcias had enjoyed a few morous years, but in just an instant, they lost their lofty position in go City.


    Madelyn had only just reached the hospital when she received a call from


    Amelia.


    On the phone, Amelia was shrieking, ¡°Are you satisfied now? You¡¯ve finally torn this family apart. Are you happy now?¡±


    Madelyn parked the car and said carelessly, ¡°You relied on me to get rich, but you didn¡¯t put in the effort. Now that you¡¯ve fallen from grace because of me, you¡¯re only getting what you deserve!¡±


    After Madelyn found out the truth, she had no reason to be polite to any of them any longer.


    The fact that Amelia was calling her also made it clear that she hadn¡¯t been having an easy time after leaving Caleb.


    After all, Elena wasn¡¯t her daughter!


    Elena had only sucked up to her in the past for the sake of the Garcia


    fortune. Now that the Garcias had fallen from grace, how patient would


    273


    she be to Amelia?


    Amelia¡¯s voice trembled with anger. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve always felt I was biased toward Elena, but I gave birth to you, and I raised you for ten years. How could you be so vicious to your own family?¡±


    Madelyn was very vicious, indeed. Although Amelia and Caleb were


    divorced, Amelia hadn¡¯t gotten a single cent. Thepany was riddled


    with debt.


    It had been too fast! Everything happened so quickly that Amelia didn¡¯t


    even have time to react.


    Madelyn¡¯s hands tightened on the steering wheel.


    Her tone remained impassive. ¡°I never needed you to raise me. You know very well why you came to the Millers to take me home<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Besides, Amelia didn¡¯t raise Madelyn at all in those ten years. During that time, she had subsisted mostly on the mary gifts that the Millers gave


    her.


    She had also received some money from other sources, and although she could not remember where the money hade from, she knew that it


    wasn¡¯t from Amelia.


    No matter what Amelia said, Madelyn just refuted her heartlessly.


    Recently, Caleb and those at Garcia Manor had called her several times, but she ignored all their calls. She only answered Amelia¡¯s call because she wanted to settle things once and for all and end this entanglement.


    ¡°I¡¯m also not your biological daughter! I don¡¯t want you to feel that I¡¯m treating you badly just because I¡¯m taking all this stuff back.¡±


    ¡°Caleb was the one who signed that letter of severance, not me! Madelyn, I¡¯m going to sue you. We¡¯re rted by blood, and just because you say that there¡¯s no rtionship between us doesn¡¯t make it true.¡±


    Amelia was triggered when she saw that Madelyn was clearly intending to cut off all ties with her. N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    She had already divorced Caleb, and although she was staying at


    Lakeview Vi thanks to Elena, she had a lot less money to spend than


    before.


    When the finances were divided that day, she finally realized that the Garcias were bankrupt. At least Caleb had been kind enough not to make her share his debts!


    Elena had always spent freely and hadn¡¯t saved much money either. All her expensive jewelry was given to her by the Millers, and Amelia hadn¡¯t bought her much. Now that the Millers had taken it all back, they had lost. everything. The only mercy was that they hadn¡¯t been thrown out into the streets.


    Conversely, Madelyn was Andrew¡¯s wife, and he spoiled her terribly.


    Amelia suddenly realized that Madelyn was now the only daughter she could rely on, so she immediately changed her attitude. ¡°Maddie, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m not trying to me you! Your father and I were together for so many years. I¡¯m just upset about our sudden divorce.¡±


    Upset? Madelynughed sarcastically.


    If her guess was right, Amelia was the one who had asked for a divorce! Was she now going to say that she was upset about it?


    Amelia and Caleb were really the kind of couple who¡¯d drop everything and run the moment things got tough.


    ¡°I¡¯m really not your daughter. I¡¯ll send you the paternity test report, and you can see for yourself!¡±


    ¡°H¨CHow is that possible? What nonsense are you saying? I know that you¡¯re just afraid I¡¯m going totch onto you!¡±

 Love’ss 202

    Amelia¡¯s heart sank when she heard Madelyn mention a paternity test,


    She really did not know that Madelyn wasn¡¯t her daughter. Now that Madelyn had said it with such certainly, Amelia couldn¡¯t help turning pale.


    Madelyn did not want to continue to waste time talking to her, so she said, ¡°You won¡¯t be able totch onto me no matter what!¡± She hung up at once.


    Amelia heard the busy signal, and her face turned pale, then flushed. ¡°How could she not be my daughter?¡±


    Too many things had happened that day. Firstly, she realized that the Garcias werepletely ruined, and now, she was told that Madelyn wasn¡¯t her daughter. Amelia¡¯s mind went nk.


    Her hands trembled as she called Caleb. He answered very quickly and said dispiritedly, ¡°What else do you want?¡±


    ¡°Is Madelyn not our daughter?¡± As soon as she spoke, Caleb¡¯s breathing/ turned heavier, Amelia turned even more pale when she heard the silence


    on his end.


    ¡°She really isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°She isn¡¯t!¡± At this point, Caleb no longer wanted to lie to her.


    Amelia asked, ¡°Then, where¡¯s my daughter?<b>¡± </b>


    Madelyn was clearly the child they abandoned, and the Millers picked her up from the entrance of the hospital. How could she suddenly not be


    Amelia and Caleb¡¯s daughter?


    Caleb was dealing with thepany¡¯s affairs and was very irritated. ¡°How would I know where she is? Is that important to you?<b>¡± </b>


    Amelia fell into a daze when Caleb yelled at her. How could it not be important?


    Since Madelyn wasn¡¯t her daughter, then where was her daughter?


    Amelia¡¯s mind was in turmoil. She had initially nned to call Madelyn and force her to give her some money, but she ended up without any money. and received this shocking piece of news instead.


    It meant that she could not rely on Madelyn at all for her future.


    Elena came downstairs, looking all dressed up. ere was a sh of annoyance in her eyes when she saw Amelia slumped on the floor.


    After leaving Garcia Manor, Amelia had done nothing. Although Easton had given them a ce to live, it was just an empty house. They no longer had maids like at Garcia Manor, and Elena had been the one cooking for the past few days. Amelia had never done a day¡¯s housework in her life.


    Elena was full of regrets. She regretted not leaving the country earlier. If she had, at least she would not have been saddled with such a burden.


    ¡°Are you going out?¡± Amelia asked, her lips trembling when she saw that Elena was leaving.


    Too many things had happened to her, and she did not want to be alone.. She wanted Elena to stay with her..


    Elena nced at the time on her watch and said, ¡°Unity Studios opened a branch in go City, and the HR over there sent me an email yesterday. They invited me for an interview.¡±


    The truth was that she had sent in her resume because she knew that


    they were hiring, but she did not dare to say such things in front of Amelia, who was a very prideful person.


    She did not want to provoke Amelia just yet.


    The reason that Amelia did not like Madelyn was that when Madelyn had firste home with them, she hadn¡¯t been able to answer anything that those upper¨Css women asked her at her birthday banquet.


    They had been prejudiced against Amelia to begin with, but after that incident, she began to dislike Madelyn even more.


    As expected, when Amelia heard that the famous Unity Studios was opening a branch in go City and had even invited Elena for an interview,


    her expression rxed slightly.


    She had been nning to ask Elena to stay home, but she quickly said, ¡± Hurry! Don¡¯t bete.¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Elena nodded. ¡°Alright, I probably won¡¯t be home for lunch. You¡¯ll have to eat alone, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re noting back? Then, I¡­ Alright. You can go.¡± Amelia


    looked troubled, but since Elena was going to Unity Studios, she had no choice but to assent reluctantly.

 Love’ss 203

    Elena nodded and left.


    When Amelia was alone, she sat down heavily on the couch, looking


    confused.


    She kept trying tofort herself. At least Elena, whom she had raised, was doing well. It meant that things wouldn¡¯t be too difficult for her in the future.


    That made Amelia feel better.


    Madelyn had brought a nutritious breakfast to the hospital for Serena. When she arrived, the little girl was still sleeping while Melinda looked


    exhausted.


    Madelyn ced the breakfast gently on the table beside them. Melindal looked at her and squeezed out a smile. ¡°Maddie.¡±


    Madelyn asked in concern, ¡°Why do you look so exhausted? Didn¡¯t your sleep wellst night?¡±


    ¡°Serena suddenly started having a high feverst night. I¡­¡± Melinda¡¯s voice choked up, and she could not go on.


    Madelyn could guess what the situation was. Serena was in a critical.


    condition, and if she didn¡¯t get an operation soon, her life could be in


    danger at any moment.


    Serena heard their voices and opened her eyes groggily. She clenched her little fists and rubbed her eyes, looking especially adorable.


    When she saw Madelyn, she called sweetly, ¡°Mommy.¡±


    ¡°Are you hungry, sweetheart? Can she eat?¡± Madelyn turned to ask Melinda.


    Melinda nodded. ¡°The doctor says she can. The high fever she hadst


    night was very sudden, so she¡¯ll probably have to be on a drip all day today.


    Her voice was filled with heartache.


    Madelyn looked at the wounds on Serena¡¯s head where she had been pricked by needles. Some of the more severe areas were bruised.


    Not an inch of her hands had been spared either. There were in ries from drawing blood as well as getting drips. There was now even an indwelling


    needle on her forehead.


    ¡°Shall we eat first?¡± Madelyn asked softly as she gave Serena a gentle look.


    Serena nodded obediently. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Melinda came forward. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. She had to have emergency carest night, and I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll vomit up what she eatster.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Madelyn did not show any disdain despite hearing that Serena might throw up. She only felt her heart ache for Serena.


    She was such a small child, but she was forced to endure such a severe illness. Not only that, she was so obedient and considerate that she never Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    cried or threw tantrums.


    She nced at the exhausted¨Clooking Melinda. ¡°You should go and have breakfast. Why don¡¯t we hire a caretaker? Things will be easier for you.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡± Melinda felt her heart ache at the mere mention of hiring a caretaker. She could not afford it at all. In fact, she had even epted a job as a caretaker here.


    Madelyn had already helped them so much that Melinda did not want her to have to keep spending money on other things.


    Madelyn was worried about her health. ¡°Will you be able to do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can.¡± Melinda nodded.


    Before Madelyn came along, she had been worrying constantly about how to pay for Serena¡¯s medical fees. Madelyn¡¯s arrival had given her a chance. to breathe easier, and it was already a huge relief to her.


    As Melinda had predicted, Serena ate the food but ended up throwing it all


    up


    Madelyn had seen the child being wheeled into the emergency operating. room, and she had also seen Melinda carrying her and pleading with the doctors. But it was only at that moment that she truly realized how bad. Serena¡¯s condition was.


    Melinda hastily cleaned up, afraid that it would stain Madelyn¡¯s clothes, but they still ended up getting stained. Madelyn didn¡¯t mind, though.


    Melinda looked anxious. ¡°What should we do? You have to go to work


    soon.¡±


    Grabbing her hand, Madelyn said, ¡°Alright, just stop. I¡¯ll get someone to deliver some clothes to the office.¡±


    Melinda felt like crying again.


    Madelyn had always thought that she was the type of person who cried. easily, and she was surprised to find that the tough¨Clooking Melinda cried even more easily than she did.


    Just then, Serena¡¯s soft little hand patted the stain on Madelyn¡¯s clothes. ¡± I¡¯m sorry, Mommy. I made it dirty<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>


    PAct Fast Free Bonus Time is Running

 Love’ss 204

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, sweetheart. Do you feel unwell right now?¡±


    Serena nuzzled into Madelyn¡¯s embrace and said softly, ¡°Yes I feel very unwell


    Melinda quickly went to get some warth water to wash Serena¡¯s tiny face. hoping to make her asfortable as possible.


    She rarely used the hot water in the hospital ward¡¯s bathroom for Serena and always got warm water instead.


    When Madelyn and Serena were alone in the hospital ward, the little girl blinked her huge eyes as she looked at Madelyn. ¡°Mommy.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If I don¡¯t wake up one day, will you take care of Mommy for me? She¡¯s been working so hard to take care of me


    Hearing that, Madelyn felt a lump in her throat.


    Melinda was standing at the door to the hospital ward, carrying the water. she had run to get. Tears ran down her cheeks.


    Madelyn felt a dull ache in her heart, and she pulled Serena into a hug Don¡¯t be silly. Why wouldn¡¯t you wake up one day, Serena? I won¡¯t let you


    leave.¡±


    How could such a young child know so much? It made Madelyn¡¯s heart


    ache to think of it. N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Serena was very weak, so she fell asleep before long. Madelyn and


    Melinda gazed down at her sleeping face, both of their hearts feeling very


    heavy.


    After giving Melinda¡¯s hand a pat, Madelyn said, ¡°Don¡¯t take her words to heart. She¡¯ll be fine!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so scared. I¡¯m terrified that she¡¯ll never wake up again,¡± Melinda said,


    feeling the pain in her chest.


    Madelyn took a deep breath. She wanted to say something tofort Melinda, but she realized that there was nothing that she could say.


    Before she left the hospital, she went to the clinicalboratories to get a blood sample.


    When she came out, she saw Roger leaning against her car door, and her lips quirked into a smile. ¡°Roger.¡±


    ¡°Andrew called me early this morning, saying that he was afraid you were getting scammed. You¡¯ve been focused onpletely destroying the Garciastely. I didn¡¯t think that you had any kindness in you.¡±


    Madelyn was startled, but her smile deepened. ¡°Are you teasing me, Roger? Or are you calling me a busybody?¡±


    He said, ¡°I would never dare to call you a busybody. It¡¯s just that there are so many cases like that in hospitals. Will you be able to help them all?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not this kind to other people.¡± Both Madelyn and Roger were surprised by what had slipped out of her mouth.


    It was true. Madelyn had been spoiled by Andrew and the entire Miller family, and she always regarded everything as being beneath her. How could something like this have caught her attention?


    Madelyn saw Roger looking at her doubtfully. ¡°Why are you looking at me.


    like that?¡±


    ¡°Have you really changed, Maddie?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I do a good deed a day?¡±


    ¡°You can, but I want to remind you that a woman who isn¡¯t married and has a child of that age can¡¯t be a good person. You¡¯d better keep your distance, Maddie.¡±


    Madelyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Thank you for the advice, but I have <b>to </b>correct you. Melinda adopted that child. Does that change your mind?¡±


    ¡°Did she really adopt the child just because she said so? Who would give


    up their life for a child they just picked up off the streets?¡±


    Roger had heard about Melinda kneeling at the door to the hospital with Serena In her arms. But this wasn¡¯t an unusual urrence at the hospital. It happened frequently every year.


    He never had anypassion for women who brought suffering upon themselves because they were careless with their personal lives.


    Melinda hade to give Madelyn her phone, and she was just in time to hear what Roger had said. She turned pale, and she trembled as she


    looked at Madelyn.


    Madelyn did not continue arguing with Roger as she did not want to


    continue the meaningless conversation. ¡°I¡¯m going to work now. <b>Can </b>you move aside, Roger?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Sure!¡± Roger took a step back. When Madelyn pulled the car door open to get in the car, she saw Melinda standing in the distance.


    When Madelyn saw how pale she looked, she knew that Melinda had heard everything Roger had said.


    ¡°Melinda,¡± she called out to her, her heart aching for her. She promptly walked over.


    Melinda handed Madelyn her phone. ¡°Here. You forgot your phone.¡±


    ¡°Um, my brother is just worried about me. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t take it to heart. I¡¯m afraid that Serena will wake up, so I have to head back now,¡± Melinda said, rushing off.


    Madelyn watched her walk unsteadily. She turned and red at Roger. ¡± You always taught me not to talk behind people¡¯s backs. Did you forget that?¡±

 Love’ss 205

    Roger did not feel an ounce of guilt as he watched Melinda walk unsteadily. He felt that women of her station would like nothing better than to find a rich man and get married.


    Women like her would do anything for money, and they had no standards.


    That child might have been born out of wedlock between Melinda and some wealthy heir. She was probably just trying to benefit from Madelyn¡¯spassion.


    Upon seeing that Madelyn was angry, Roger nodded. ¡°Yes, it was wrong of me to talk about her behind her back. But Maddie, you don¡¯t know how dangerous the world outside is. You won¡¯t go wrong by taking my advice. Don¡¯t bother yourself with these things in the future.¡±


    Madelyn rolled her eyes at him and ignored him. She just drove away.


    Roger stood on the spot and watched her turn deftly onto the main road, her car drifting perfectly. He muttered to himself about how Grace had spoiled her.


    In the car, Madelyn nced at the clock and saw that she would bete to the studio because Roger had dyed her.


    Not only that, her clothes were stained. She thought for a moment and called Jessie to inform her that she¡¯d be an hourte.


    When she arrived at Andrew¡¯s office, huffing indignantly, Andrew saw her stained clothes and helped her take them off. He asked, ¡°What happened?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Madelyn wrinkled her nose at him. ¡°You told Roger that you were afraid that I was being scammed? Am I really that stupid?¡±


    Andrew was startled.


    He tapped her on the nose and said fondly, ¡°I told Roger to investigate that mother and daughter. You¡¯re kind, but you shouldn¡¯t let people take advantage of your kindness.¡±


    Madelyn was slightly mollified.


    However, she thought about how sad Melinda must have been to hear what Roger had said.


    From the moment they met, Madelyn had known how important Melinda¡¯s dignity was to her. However, she was willing to put aside her dignity for Serena¡¯s sake.


    Being spoken about like that must have been like getting stabbed in the


    heart.


    Andrew thought that Madelyn was silent because she was too angry. ¡°Are you angry about that?¡±


    After all, she had beenpletely focused on Easton in the past. Now, she was proactively participating in work, and she was even sticking her nose. -in other people¡¯s matters.


    Although he was happy that she had finally moved her attention away from Easton, he did not like the idea of her not focusingpletely on him.


    Madelyn hugged Andrew¡¯s arm. ¡°I was pretty angry on my way here, but after hearing what you said, I¡¯m not angry anymore.¡±


    He looked down at her and smiled slightly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go to work? You¡¯ll probably bete even if you go now.¡±


    ¡°I asked David to get someone to deliver clothes to me. I¡¯ll hide out here with you for a while since I¡¯ve informed Jessie that I¡¯ll bete.¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t need to send any over. You have clothes here.¡±


    ¡°Do I?¡± Madelyn was surprised.


    Andrew pulled her up and headed toward the lounge. When he opened the door of the wardrobe, she saw that there was a row of clothes for both men and women hanging there.


    Madelyn knew that the men¡¯s clothes belonged to Andrew, but she had never seen any of the women¡¯s clothes before. She looked doubtfully at Andrew and asked, ¡°Why do you have so many women¡¯s clothes here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. These clothes are all from your personal tailor. They¡¯re all yours.¡±


    Madelyn breathed a sigh of relief.


    For a moment, she had thought that Andrew had some other woman out there.


    Now that she thought about it, all the clothes in Serenity Vi were brought back from the office, and it was always arge number that was brought back. The ones here probably just hadn¡¯t been sent home yet.


    She looked through them and saw that they were all in the same style that Andrew always designed for her. They were undoubtedly his new designs<b>. </b>


    Andrew took out an orange garment for her. ¡°What do you think of this one? Do you like it?¡±


    ¡°I do like it, but is it appropriate to wear this to work? Don¡¯t you think the color is too bright?¡± Madelyn looked at it.


    It had puff sleeves, which would make her look very youthful.


    She realized that Andrew was very fond of designing brightly colored clothes for her¨Corange, pink, or dusky pink. He very rarely gave her anything that was ck, white, or gray


    Her wardrobe probably only had two or three things in it that were ck, gray, or white. There was probably only one garment of each of these


    colors.

 Love’ss 206

    ¡°You¡¯re the boss. You can wear whatever you like. Why would it be inappropriate?¡±


    Madelyn decided that Andrew was right, so she let him put it on for her. He even tied up her hair.


    When she looked in the mirror and saw that Andrew had dressed her up like a doll, she smiled brightly.


    Suddenly, Andrew saw the red mark in the crook of her arm, and his


    expression changed slightly. He looked at it anxiously. ¡°How did you get


    this?¡± This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Madelyn looked at it as well and saw that the spot on her arm where she had gotten her blood drawn was bruised slightly.


    That was just how her skin was. If she treated it roughly, it would leave a


    mark. ¡°I had a blood test.¡±


    ¡°You just had one recently. You don¡¯t need one right now. How did you get this?¡± Andrew sounded stern.


    He had said out loud all the things that Madelyn might be lying that he could eliminate any possibility of her lying.


    Madelyn was rendered speechless.


    about so


    She wrinkled her nose at him, which made Andrew¡¯s voice grow even more stern. ¡°Tell the truth, Maddie.¡±


    Madelyn was conflicted about whether or not to tell him the truth, especially when he looked so stern. However, she knew that if she was a match, she would have to have an operation to donate her bone marrow. It would be impossible to hide it from him then.


    She wrung her hands. ¡°Um, can I say that I was getting apatibility test?


    ¡°Apatibility test? With that sick child?¡± Andrew¡¯s voice had grown cold.


    Madelyn looked down, unable to meet his eyes. She nodded.


    The moment <b>she </b>nodded, she could feel Andrew¡¯s mood turning worse. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his slender waist.


    She looked up pitifully at him. ¡°Darling.¡±


    ¡°What if it¡¯s a match? Are you going to donate your bone marrow to her?¡± Andrew said icily.


    His eyes had be even colder. Madelyn did not dare to nod and just stared beseechingly at him.


    Andrew was furious!


    He did not need to hear her answer to know what it was.


    She had changed a lot recently, and he was happy about it, but he did not want her to change so much that he lost control of her. He felt that her current change was already a sign that he was losing control of her.


    He pinched her chin and said coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what condition you¡¯re in? Madelyn, I¡¯m telling you right now that I won¡¯t agree!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t agree, then! Don¡¯t be angry.¡± Madelyn did not dare stand up to him, when he was in this mood. She tightened her arms around his waist and nuzzled against his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Before she died in her previous life, she had sworn that if the heavens. gave her a chance to be reborn, she would obey everything that Andrew said. However, her determination wavered in front of Serena, who was


    such a weak child.


    Andrew¡¯s mood softened slightly. ¡°Really?¡±


    He could not quite believe that Madelyn would be obedient to him. He was clearly not assured.


    Madelyn nodded firmly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡±


    Andrew decided to trust her this time when he saw how determined she


    was. He nced at the clock and then suddenly kissed her hungrily.


    After a while, his breathing grew heavy, and he let her go. He tapped her gently on the cheek. ¡°Go to work, and remember toe back on time for


    lunch.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Madelyn smiled sweetly and stuck out her tongue.


    The employees in the secretary department watched Andrew personally escort Madelyn out. He even went all the way with her to the elevators, as if she were a child that he was worried about.


    The hearts of the women in the secretary department fluttered, but they were all witnesses to the fiasco with Elizabeth and Valentina. They knew that Andrew only treated Madelyn well, so they refrained from having any other thoughts.


    Mat Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Love’ss 207

    Madelyn walked out of the underground garage and over to the elevators of her office building. When she reached the studio, she met Elena, who had juste out of Jessie¡¯s office.


    Elena was startled to see Madelyn. She looked around, and when she saw that there wasn¡¯t anybody there, she lowered her voice and asked, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Working,¡± Madelyn answered shortly before walking toward her own office.


    Elena took two steps forward and grabbed her<b>. </b>There was a look of shock in her eyes. ¡°Why are you working here?¡±


    How could this be possible?


    This was the go City branch of Unity Studios. Madelyn did not have any work experience at all. Why would they have hired her?


    However, when she thought of Andrew<i>, </i>Elena suddenly felt that it seemed logical for Madelyn to be here. She was once again jealous of how lucky. Madelyn was to be treasured so much by Andrew.


    Madelyn looked down at the hand that Elena was clutching, and there was a sh of revulsion in her eyes. ¡°Can you let go of me?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Elena let go at once and looked at the sign on Madelyn¡¯s office door. She was in the design department, where Elena would also be working.


    She might not be as good as Madelyn in other aspects, but she was confident that she was better at design than Madelyn was! Elena smiled at the thought.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re in the design department too. I was just hired, so we¡¯ll be colleagues in the future, Maddie.¡±


    When Madelyn heard that Elena had also joined the design department,


    she frowned and said nothing.


    She flung Elena¡¯s hand aside and entered the office. The door mmed shut within an inch of Elena¡¯s nose.


    Elena¡¯s expression changed, and a venomous look appeared in her eyes. She smiled meaningfully and turned to leave.


    Emma had already arrived at the office, Her work desk was opposite Madelyn¡¯s, and she jumped in fright when the door mmed.


    She looked up at Madelyn and saw the stylishly designed dress that she was wearing, which entuated her figure perfectly. She couldn¡¯t help asking. ¡°What brand is your dress from? The cutting is gorgeous!¡±


    Madelyn looked at her dress.


    The truth was that Andrew had spoiled her so much that she didn¡¯t have much of her own taste. He was the one who designed all her clothes.


    As for how to match them, Andrew knew much more about that than she did, so he was also the one who came up with her outfits. If he said that it looked good, she would wear it.


    Since Emma was asking her for the brand, she could not say that her husband had designed it, so she came up with a wild lie. ¡°My mother made. it for me. Does it look good?¡±


    It was only half a lie.


    Andrew had inherited his gift for design from Grace. All of Madelyn¡¯s childhood dresses were made by Grace, which made her the object of envy among her ssmates in kindergarten and elementary school.


    When Emma heard that the dress was made by Madelyn¡¯s mother, she immediately lost interest. She assumed that Madelyn¡¯s mother was just an ordinary seamstress, so she just said coldly, ¡°Close the door more quietly in the future.¡± Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Madelyn did not know why Emma¡¯s expression turned cold all of a sudden, but she did not care. She turned herputer on and began to immerse herself in her work.


    Her first reaction to Elena getting hired here was to find a way to get her fired.


    However, when she thought about how Elena and Easton might be


    working together with Elijah to do something, she changed her mind.


    It might be beneficial to keep an eye on her. Although it was troublesome and annoying, she didn¡¯t mind enduring it for Andrew¡¯s sake.


    That morning, Emma and Madelyn were called out of their office by Jessie.


    Jessie¡¯s expression was inscrutable. She looked at Madelyn and Emma and said, ¡°The clients have seen the drafts you submitted yesterday. One passed, and the other didn¡¯t. There are a lot of changes that need to be done!¡°¡±


    Basically, it was good news and bad news.


    Emma looked triumphantly at Madelyn. Madelyn had no experience, after all. Emma was currently the only designer in the studio, and she was sure that the position of design director would soon be hers.


    Emma suppressed her glee and stepped forward confidently, saying,¡± Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Carter. I¡¯ll work with Madelyn toe up with a new design so that we won¡¯t dy the project¡¯s approval process.¡± Jessie¡¯s brows furrowed as she nced at Madelyn.

 Love’ss 208

    Madelyn asked, ¡®Is there really a problem with the draft? I¡¯ll work overtime tonight then.¡±


    She had rushed the design yesterday since shed only had a day. She also had to check the ns for the relevant sections, which was why she was in a rush yesterday.


    She had focused more on the overall concept rather than the details of the design, so she had been prepared to have the design sent back.


    However, Jessie did not answer her question.


    Instead, she looked at Emma again, who smiled and said. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ms. Carter. I¡¯ll work overtime tonight with Madelyn, and I guarantee that they¡¯ll get a satisfactory design tomorrow.


    Jessie sighed as she handed the project proposal to Emma. ¡°<b>It¡¯s </b>not


    Madelyn who needs to make the changes. Yours was the one that got sent back.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Emma was aghast. N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    Madelyn was startled as well.


    Emma could not believe that Jessie was handing her design back. Had Jessie mistaken Emma¡¯s design for Madelyn¡¯s<b>? </b>


    She grabbed it and flipped it open, and when she saw that it really was her design, her expression turned grim at once.


    Madelyn was a beginner designer who had no experience, but her design was approved.


    Why wasn¡¯t Emma¡¯s? Was she really worse than a beginner like Madelyn?


    What kind of taste did the client have? Emma could not ept it.


    Madelyn saw that Emma was looking more and more thunderous, and she could feel the tension in the office growing. She nced at Jessie.


    Jessie said, ¡°On Monday, there¡¯ll be two new designers joining the design. department. That¡¯ll take the pressure off the two of you. Madelyn, you can continue to follow up. Jessie, work faster. The client is waiting.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Madelyn nodded.


    She took her design, turned, and went out. She was different from Emma. Emma had generously said that she would help, but Madelyn did not. If she said in front of Jessie that she would help Emma, who had been a designer for three years, it would only serve to humiliate Emma.


    Emma only entered the office ten minutester. There was a loud thump as she flung the folder onto her desk and red viciously at Madelyn.


    Madelyn asked, ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    Emma sat down angrily on her chair. ¡°Are you feeling very gleeful right now? You¡¯re an intern, but your design passed while mine didn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°Were you arguing with Ms. Carter about that in the office just now?¡±


    Emma could not ept it. From what she knew, Madelyn had no prior work experience, but she seeded at her first attempt.


    Emma had been working for three years! Although there had been times when her designs were sent back, she had never lost to an intern before.


    She looked at Madelyn¡¯s design project, which was just asplicated as hers was. However, Madelyn¡¯s design had passed!


    Emma looked disdainfully at her. ¡°You copied that design, didn¡¯t you? I saw it, and it resembles Naomi¡¯s style!¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s expression darkened at once, and she looked frostily at Emma.


    Emma¡¯s eyes met hers, and she felt a momentary guilt. She was so angry that she had lost all sense of decorum.


    She ignored Madelyn and did not even apologize. She just tidied up her desk and threw herself into her work.


    If it had been two days ago, Emma would¡¯ve packed up and left there and then. However, she could no longer do that. This


    was the branchpany


    317


    of Unity Studios.


    She wanted to work hard so that she could be transferred to Unity Studios, where her pay would also rise drastically.


    Emma had no choice but to endure it for the sake of her future.


    Madelyn lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°I may just be an intern designer, but you¡¯re not the design director either. We¡¯re colleagues, so we should maintain a civil front. Even if you want to lord over me, please wait until you be the design director before doing so.¡±


    Emma paused in the act of clicking on her mouse, her face flushing at what Madelyn had said. She looked up into Madelyn¡¯s icy eyes, and her heart skipped a beat.


    How could a young woman from a poor family have such poise?


    However, Emma was afraid that Madelyn would snitch to Jessie and affect her future, so she suppressed her anger to say coldly, ¡°Sorry!¡±


    Madelyn couldn¡¯t be bothered to pay any more attention to her. After all, there were all kinds of people in the world.

 Love’ss 209

    The atmosphere in Madelyn and Emma¡¯s shared office remained gloomy for the entire day. Emma continued looking thunderos, even until the end of the work day.


    She had torn up draft after draft that morning, and when the time came for lunch, she looked even angrier to see Madelyn get up and take her bag in preparation to leave.


    Madelyn could not be bothered to pay any attention to her.


    When she reached the underground garage, she spotted Rowan. He respectfully pulled open the door to a Maserati, and a foot in a red high- heeled shoe stepped out onto the ground. It entuated the owner¡¯s slender, fair ankle.


    There was the sound of a phone vibrating, and when Madelyn pulled it out. of her bag to look at the number, she saw that it was Andrew. She answered the phone, ¡°Hi, darling. I¡¯m about to go over.


    ¡°I can¡¯t have lunch with you today. Shall I ask Rowan to send you straight to the studio? Do you want toe to the garage elevator to get it?¡±


    Madelyn looked again toward the Maserati, where the upant had already gotten out of the car and was walking toward the elevators. She watched Rowan and the woman walk together.


    From the back, the woman looked tall and slender. She had a business¨Clike bob and was wearing a white shirt and a denim pencil skirt. She carried a vermilion purse that matched her red high heels.


    ¡°Darling? Darling!¡± Andrew called twice to her when he didn¡¯t get a response from her.


    Madelyn couldn¡¯t help feeling angry when she saw how much Rowan was pandering to the woman.


    He was always so wary when he was around her, as if he were always on guard against Madelyn and Andrew.


    Why was he being so smarmy to this woman?


    Madelyn¡¯s temper red at once. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s not eat, then!¡±


    Before Andrew could react, she hung up angrily. He could have lunch with whoever he wanted.


    In the CEO¡¯s office at Miller Group, Andrew looked down at his phone, his brows furrowed tightly together. Why was Madelyn throwing a fit?


    He had heard the anger in her voice very clearly.


    There was a knock on the office door, and Andrew put his phone screen


    down on the desk. ¡°Come in.¡±


    Rowan opened the door from outside and said respectfully to the woman behind him, ¡°After you, Ms. Laura.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Rowan.¡± Laura smiled gently at him.


    Rowan nodded, and when Laura walked in, he made to close the door. However, Andrew stopped him. ¡°Rowan!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Andrew.¡±


    ¡°Where did the two of youe up from?¡± N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°The garage. What¡¯s the matter? I asked Ms. Laura to drive straight into the garage.¡± Rowan looked confused.


    Andrew, however, immediately knew what had happened.


    Laura looked uprehendingly at Andrew. She was about to say something when he stood up. ¡°You can go and eat with Rowan first.¡±


    Rowan had also studied abroad <b>in </b>Fsko, which was where they¡¯d met.


    That was why after work hours, the three of them were more casual


    around each other.


    When Laura saw that Andrew wanted her to go and eat with Rowan first, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°What about you? Andrew, we haven¡¯t met for


    three years. Whatever important meeting you have this afternoon can be postponed.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mr. Andrew. I¡¯ll take care of whatever it is. You should keep Ms. Laurapany.¡±


    Andrew was irritated. When he thought of Madelyn¡¯s attitude on the


    phone, he knew that she must have seen Rowan and Laura when she was preparing toe over.


    Madelyn was a crybaby and very petty too. She was probably sulking somewhere right now.


    When they were in school and she saw any woman talking to Andrew or approaching him<b>, </b>she would burst into tears as soon as they got home. So many years had passed, but that habit of hers hadn¡¯t changed at all! However, it didn¡¯t annoy Andrew. In fact, it made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was a feeling that he hadn¡¯t had for a long time.


    Ever since she got mixed up with Easton, she had never shown him that kind of attention. Now, the old Madelyn was finally back.


    Laura went up to him and tugged on his sleeve. <b>¡°</b>Andrew, I have something to discuss with you, and I¡¯ll be busy after this.¡±


    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running

 Love’ss 210

    Andrew frowned and quickly stepped aside.


    Laura¡¯s hand hovered in the air, and she gave him a yful look.¡±


    Seriously? You handled stuff like this all the time when you were abroad. Why are you avoiding it now? Trying to be all professional?¡±


    ¡°Laura!¡± Andrew¡¯s voice grew more serious.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. But I really do have something important to talk about. It¡¯s lunchtime, so let¡¯s discuss it over food.¡±


    Andrew was thinking about Madelyn, but since it wasn¡¯t urgent, he agreed. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    They all headed down to the underground parking garage.


    Madelyn was still standing there, crying like a little kid.


    As soon as Andrew stepped out of the elevator, he saw her standing under the lights not far away, and his heart dropped.


    Rowan and Laura spotted Madelyn too, and they instinctively exchanged a nce.


    Madelyn¡¯s heart sank as she realized Andrew was actually heading to lunch with a beautiful woman. When she finally got a clear look at the woman¡¯s face, her stomach dropped, and she went pale.


    It was¡­ Laura Cooper.


    She had only seen a photo of her once, but there was no mistaking her.


    In her past life, after Andrew divorced her, he flew straight to Fsko and spent two weeks with Laura.


    Even though Andrew had shown up for her when she needed him most, she couldn¡¯t help but feel an uneasy tension toward Laura.


    ¡°Rowan, take Ms. Cooper to lunch. If there¡¯s anything important, we¡¯ll handle it in the office this afternoon.¡±


    Before Rowan or Laura could say anything. Andrew walked over to Madelyn. When he got closer, he saw that her eyes were filled with tears.


    He realized he had made a mistake. When it urred to him that she might have run into them, he should havee down to find her first.


    Laura was a close friend from his time abroad, so he was certain Madelyn definitely knew who Laura was.


    Madelyn, clearly upset, tried to leave, but Andrew grabbed her wrist and pulled her toward her car. Madelyn tried to pull away, but he wouldn¡¯t let go.


    Rowan watched everything and instantly lost any good opinion he had of Madelyn. ¡°Ms. Laura, let¡¯s go. Mr. Miller might join uster.¡±


    Laura watched without any change in her expression as Andrew drove away with Madelyn. She asked, ¡°Why did Andrew marry someone like that? She doesn¡¯t have any grace at all. How can he take her anywhere?¡±


    Rowan stayed quiet.


    ¡°She truly doesn¡¯t have any grace. What kind of behavior is that? What if it had been a client? Crying like that would¡¯ve made Andrew look bad,¡± Rowan thought to himself.


    Laura didn¡¯t know that Madelyn had grown up at the Miller residence, so she naturally thought Madelyn wasn¡¯t good enough for Andrew.


    In the car, Laura looked at Rowan and asked, ¡°How did they meet?¡±


    She was talking about Andrew and Madelyn.


    Rowan tightened his grip on the steering wheel and said, ¡°How they met. doesn¡¯t really matter. Once Mr. Miller gets tired of her, he¡¯ll definitely divorce her.¡±


    Meanwhile, in Andrew¡¯s car, Madelyn quickly wiped her tears and said with a sob, ¡°Don¡¯t try to trick me. Your clients are all old guys in their 50s and 60s. There¡¯s no way any of them are young and pretty.¡±


    3/2


    She knew exactly how old Andrew¡¯s clients were, and she knew Laura, so she wasn¡¯t going to be fooled.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t trick you, darling,¡± Andrew said gently, taking her hand and holding it.


    Still angry, Madelyn pulled her hand away.


    Andrew didn¡¯t exin anything. He just gave her a small, knowing smile.


    Madelyn was staring out the window and didn¡¯t see the brief, satisfied smile on Andrew¡¯s face. She kept waiting for him to exin.


    When they finally reached the parking lot outside Moonlit Restaurant, Andrew still hadn¡¯t said a word, and Madelyn¡¯s frustration grew even more.

 Love’ss 211

    Andrew unbuckled Madelyn¡¯s seatbelt and gently pinched her tear- streaked cheek. ¡°Come on, little kitten. It¡¯s time for lunch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Madelyn said stubbornly.


    She sniffled, feeling both angry and upset.


    Andrew¡¯s silence only made things worse. He wasn¡¯t exining anything about his rtionship with Laura, which made her feel even more hurt. It seemed like he was avoiding the topic, and that made her even more frustrated.


    Madelyn knew she had made mistakes, but knowing that Andrew had spent years with Laura and gone straight to her after their divorce made her feel even worse.


    Natalie¡¯sments about Andrew and Laura¡¯s past only added to her feelings. Andrew¡¯s refusal to say anything at this moment just made her


    anger grow.


    Andrew took a wet wipe from the glovepartment and gently wiped the tears from her face. ¡°Look at you, still crying like a kid.¡±


    Madelyn grabbed the wet wipe from him and said, ¡°Is the main issue really that my makeup is messed up?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said,ughing.


    ¡°Then exin what¡¯s going on,¡± she said. She had always been exining things about Easton. Why wasn¡¯t he exining now?


    Andrew couldn¡¯t stopughing.


    Madelyn¡¯s face showed her frustration. ¡°You¡¯reughing? What¡¯s so funny?


    Seeing her get angrier, he tried to stopughing. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop. Let¡¯s <b>just </b>go have lunch, okay?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± Madelyn said firmly.


    Andrew kissed her cheek and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m hungry, Let¡¯s go, and we¡¯ll talk about thister.¡±


    Madelyn was about to say more, but he had already gotten out of the car. He walked around to her side and opened the door. ¡°Darling, do you want at hug?¡±


    Madelyn red at him, even more frustrated,


    It was already noon, and Andrew was worried that exining things now. might be bad for her stomach.


    When she still didn¡¯t move, Andrew picked her up and carried her out of the car. People walking by stopped and stared, clearly impressed.


    The cobblestone alley was full of young people shopping. A woman pulled. on her boyfriend¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Look at how he treats his girlfriend!¡±


    Her boyfriend responded, ¡°His girlfriend is so slim! You¡¯re too heavy for me to carry!¡±


    The woman shot back, ¡°You think I¡¯m fat? Fine! If you like skinny girls, go find one and see if she can give you a child!¡±


    Seeing what was happening, Madelyn struggled to get down. Andrew, noticing her attempts to break free, carefully put her back on her feet.


    As soon <b>as </b>she was standing, Andrew reached out to grab her hand. Madelyn tried to pull away, but he held on tightly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to make a scene, just behave.¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Madelyn said, clearly frustrated. N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    He was captivated by her flustered look and was already thinking about how to ¡°punish¡± her when they got home.


    At Moonlit Restaurant, Lily knew they wereing and quickly prepared. their favorite dishes, including a bowl of beef stew for Madelyn.


    Andrew served her the beef stew first. ¡°Drink this to warm up your stomach. You don¡¯t want it to start hurting again.¡±


    Chap 211


    3/3


    He wondered how the Garcia family had taken care of Madelyn. She had been in great health at the Miller residence, but after just a few years with the Garcias, her health had gotten so bad.


    This made Andrew even more frustrated.


    He took a portion of the beef stew and ced it in front of her, but Madelyn didn¡¯t touch it. She just stared at him.


    Andrew realized that when Madelyn was stubborn, she was really stubborn.


    He picked her up and sat her on hisp. ¡°Alright, stop being mad. Let¡¯s just eat.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with her?¡± Madelyn asked.


    ¡°There¡¯s no rtionship,¡± Andrew said.


    ¡°No rtionship? Then, why did you¡­¡± Madelyn stopped, not sure how to finish her question.


    She knew asking why he went straight to Laura after their divorce in her past life might start a big argument.


    Andrew said, ¡°We¡¯re just former ssmates, nothing more.¡±

 Love’ss 212

    Madelyn was confused. Being reborn made it easy to mix up memories from her past life with what was happening now.


    Right now, she and Andrew were still together, and he hadn¡¯t gone to Fsko to get closer to Laura. So, in this life, they were really just former ssmates who had a good time together abroad.


    But thinking about what Natalie said about Laura still bothered her.


    Seeing her quiet, Andrew teased, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does my darling see our rtionship differently?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Madelyn asked.


    ¡°Why were you crying?¡±


    Since Andrew and Laura¡¯s rtionship hadn¡¯t gone beyond friendship and Andrew hadn¡¯t done anything wrong, why was she so upset?


    His straightforward question caught her off guard.


    Madelyn looked at Andrew, clearly confused. ¡°I was crying because you were going to have lunch with another woman, abandoning me.¡±


    It seemed like a reasonable reason, right?


    She realized she needed to sort through her memoriester since her choices had changed so much.


    She wondered if Andrew thought she was acting strange after what happened in the underground parking garage. But she had really been upset and hurt.


    Andrew gave her a warm smile. ¡°Okay, darling. If that¡¯s how you feel.¡±


    He gently pinched her cheek, showing his affection and care.


    Madelyn felt really embarrassed about how she had acted earlier. Why was she so worried? As long as she and Andrew stayed married, he wouldn¡¯t get close to Laura. She trusted him. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Can we eat now?¡± Andrew asked, feeling relieved.


    ¡°Yes, we can!¡± Madelyn answered with a warm smile.


    ¡°You silly girl,¡± he said kindly..


    Madelyn finished the beef stew and felt her stomach start to settle.


    The beef stew at Moonlit Restaurant was a specialty. Lily always made sure it was perfect, with tender meat and a rich, savory vor that


    Madelyn really liked.


    After lunch, Andrew dropped Madelyn off at her workce. As she was getting out of the car, she leaned in close to him.


    Andrew looked at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±


    She asked, ¡°Are you still meeting Laura this afternoon?¡±


    Andrew raised an eyebrow and asked back, ¡°Do you want me not to?¡±


    She replied, ¡°If it¡¯s about work, then it¡¯s okay.¡±


    In this lifetime, any meetings with Laura would only be for work, not because of past problems.


    Andrew smiled and, as Madelyn pulled away, he gently held her face and gave her a deep kiss. Then, he smoothed down her slightly messy hair and said, ¡°Be good and go to work.¡±


    Madelyn nodded and got out of the car. Andrew got out too and handed. her the car keys.


    Before they said goodbye, Madelyn hugged Andrew and said, ¡°Darling, I¡¯m really going to miss you.¡±


    Smiling, he replied, ¡°You miss me that much? How about skipping work. this afternoon anding with me to the office?¡±


    Madelyn quickly said, ¡°No, just go ahead. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    She was determined not to miss work.


    Andrew couldn¡¯t help but smile upon seeing how responsible she was. She


    3/3


    really was special.


    From her own car, Emma watched in surprise as Madelyn got out of the fancy Bugatti Veyron and hugged Andrew. Emma was shocked to see that Madelyn was actually a sugar baby.


    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Love’ss 213

    Madelyn had just gotten back to her office when Emma walked in, giving her a look that clearly showed she didn¡¯t like her.


    Madelyn ignored Emma and started working on herputer. She needed. to finalize yesterday¡¯s draft, which would take about a week, and the deadline wasing up soon.


    Soon after, Jessie came in, sounding much friendlier than before. ¡°The CEO of Phyton Corporation wants to talk to you before you do the next part of the project,¡± she said.


    ¡°The CEO of Phylon Corporation?¡± Madelyn asked, curious.


    ¡°Yes, the CEO wants to meet with you because he likes your design,¡±


    Jessie said.


    Madelyn nodded. ¡°When is the meeting?¡±


    ¡°Today at 3:00 pm, at the caf¨¦ on the top floor of Milton Building,¡± Jessie replied.


    Madelyn knew the caf¨¦ on the top floor of Milton Building well. It was a popr ce for meetings, and she had been there a few times with Andrew. The caf¨¦ had big windows that showed a great view of go City.


    It was a nice spot with coffee tables right by the big windows, letting your see the whole city.


    When Madelyn checked the time and saw it was already 1:30 pm, she knew she needed to leave soon.


    She took the documents from her desk drawer and said, ¡°I¡¯m heading over now.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± Jessie said, nodding.


    Jessie smiled at Madelyn but then looked at Emma with a bit of coldness.¡± Emma, make sure you keep up with your work.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Ms. Carter,¡± Emma replied, trying to sound polite.


    Emma was fuming inside. Why was Madelyn, who was just an intern, getting to meet clients while she was still stuck with draft revisions?


    What was wrong with the client? Did they not recognize her skills?


    The more Emma thought about it, the angrier she got.


    Madelyn saved her files onto a USB drive. Since her meeting with the client. might take a while<b>, </b>she wasn¡¯t sure if she¡¯d get back to the office before. the weekend. She might need to work extra hours.


    Jessie, about to leave, turned and said, ¡°Oh, by the way, you¡¯re officially hired now.


    Madelyn was surprised. ¡°Really? That¡¯s fast!¡±


    Even though she had worked with Andrew and had everything she needed, getting this job on her own felt exciting.


    Jessie nodded. ¡°We usually wait three months, but since you¡¯re leading the design project, we made an exception. Do a good job, and remember, two new designers start Monday. The position of design director is still open. Compete for it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Madelyn said.


    Noticing Emma¡¯s unhappy look, Madelyn stopped smiling and gave Jessie a simple nod.


    After Jessie left, Madelyn ignored Emma and quickly left the office with her bag.


    As she closed the door, she heard some banging from inside and sighed. Then, she walked away.


    In the car, Madelyn called Andrew. Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Andrew was in his office when he saw Madelyn¡¯s name pop up on his phone. He said to Laura, ¡°Sorry, I need to take this call.¡±


    Laura was surprised to see that Andrew¡¯s phone showed ¡°Maddie Baby¡°,


    33


    and she realized that even someone like him had a sweet nickname for his


    wife.


    He stepped away and answered the call, ¡°Hey, darling.¡±


    Andrew seemed a bit annoyed by what Madelyn was saying. ¡°Which client needs to see you in person?¡± he asked, sounding a bit jealous.


    Laura could tell from Andrew¡¯s voice that Madelyn was being coquettish, which made her feel even more irritated.


    Laura thought Madelyn was just a flirt and not worth her attention.


    Andrew, on the other hand, was clearly pleased by Madelyn¡¯s charm. ¡±


    After your meeting,e straight to me, and we¡¯ll go home together,¡± he said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Madelyn replied.

 Love’ss 214

    Satisfied with thepromise, Andrew decided not to push the issue any further. Instead of going back to sit with Laura, he walked outside and


    called for Benson.


    Andrew had always been worried about how Rowan was handling Madelyn¡¯s situation, so he told Benson, ¡°She¡¯s at Milton Building. Go there and keep an eye on things. Make sure everything goes smoothly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Benson replied quickly.


    Andrew was anxious because Madelyn, who was new on the job, was already meeting with an important client. It was natural for him to be worried.


    If Madelyn were working under Andrew¡¯s name as his wife, no one would dare make things difficult for her.


    But if that were the case, as Madelyn had pointed out, she wouldn¡¯t need to do much. She would never get to face the tough realities of the workce.


    But Madelyn didn¡¯t realize that with Andrew protecting her like this, he was already keeping those tough realities away from her.


    When Madelyn arrived at Milton Building and walked toward the private room, she saw Amelia and George talking through the big windows in the lobby. George, who looked thin and nervous since leaving Serenity Vi, was having a serious conversation with Amelia, who looked very angry.


    Madelyn was confused. It seemed strange that George, who no longer worked at Serenity Vi, would still be meeting with Amelia.


    Before she could figure it out, she heard Amelia¡¯s angry voice through the windows. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about getting any money from me. I didn¡¯t get a single cent when I divorced.


    ¡°And don¡¯t you dare try to find Elena, do you understand?¡± Amelia¡¯s voice.


    grew more urgent.


    George¡¯s expression became tense. ¡°If you don¡¯t give me another 200 grand, I¡¯ll have to go after Elena.¡±


    ¡°Forget about Elena. She has nothing to do with you. Have you ever¡­¡± Amelia¡¯s voice trailed off as she looked around, her irritation shifting to


    concern.


    The caf¨¦ was still empty, so Amelia felt free to talk openly. But when she saw Madelyn, her face went pale.


    George noticed Madelyn too, and his expression changed right away.


    Amelia pushed George and said, ¡°Just go for now.¡±


    ¡°And the money¡­¡± George started to say. N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°Forget about it! Just leave!¡± Amelia shouted, clearly done with the argument. She pushed him to go.


    Seeing Madelyn, George didn¡¯t say anything more and quickly left.


    The staff kept their usual nk expressions and continued their work. In a fancy caf¨¦ like this, they were trained to stay professional and not get involved in customers¡® personal issues.


    Amelia walked up to Madelyn with a stiff look on her face, noticing that Madelyn was wearing clothes and essories designed by Andrew


    himself.


    Before this, Amelia had been jealous of Madelyn for having such a great husband. Even though Madelyn wasn¡¯t wearing big¨Cname designer brands, her clothes were special in their own way.


    Amelia asked quietly, ¡°When did you get here?¡±


    Madelyn nced at her watch. She had arrived 20 minutes early. She answered calmly, ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything I wasn¡¯t supposed to.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s face went even whiter.


    37


    ¡°Will you tell him?¡± Amelia asked, her voice shaky.


    By ¡°him¡°, Amelia meant Caleb.


    Madelyn looked at Amelia in silence. Even though she had overheard more than she should have, she still found it hard to believe what was


    happening.


    ¡°Is she George¡¯s daughter?¡± Madelyn asked.


    Amelia¡¯s breath caught, and her already pale face turned even whiter.


    She tried to deny it, but she couldn¡¯t remember what she had said in her anger.


    Madelyn¡¯s question made it clear that Amelia had revealed more than she intended.

 Love’ss 215

    Madelyn knew her analysis was correct by looking at Amelia¡¯s expression, but she had no interest in this matter. She turned and walked toward the private room she had booked.


    She heard Amelia¡¯s tense voice behind her. ¡°Are you going to tell Caleb?¡±


    Hearing that made Madelyn stop in her tracks momentarily before she walked ahead again. She did not answer Amelia¡¯s question.


    Madelyn¡¯s silence caused Amelia¡¯s face to turn paler than ever. Although she and Caleb had already divorced, he did not make her bear the debt solely because of Elena.


    Elena wasn¡¯t actually Caleb¡¯s daughter. Instead, his real daughter had been swapped with Elena while George¡¯s mistress ended up raising Caleb¡¯s real daughter. The consequences would be dire if Caleb found out about this.1


    As Madelyn was about to enter the private room, Amelia grabbed her.¡± Maddie, you won¡¯t tell him, right?¡±


    Madelyn shook her off in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your affairs. You¡¯d better not bother me in the future, or I might just change my mind.¡±


    Upon hearing that, Amelia, who still wanted to hold onto Madelyn, quickly retracted her hand and nodded hurriedly.


    ¡°Yes. Rx, I won¡¯t bother you anymore, so don¡¯t tell him anything.¡±


    Madelyn red at her icily. ¡°Still not leaving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave. I¡¯m leaving right now!¡± Amelia quickly turned and hurried off. Since Madelyn knew her secret, she dared not to bother her any longer.


    Madelyn¡¯s gaze turned colder than ever as she watched Amelia leave.


    No wonder Amelia had been pouring all her love on Elena all these years. It turned out that Elena wasn¡¯t a mistress¡® child at all. Amelia had conceived


    her during the time she cheated on Caleb.


    Madelyn had no idea what actually happened, but it had always been. assumed that Elena was that mistress child.


    Or perhaps George was Elena¡¯s father. No wonder he always sided with Elena since he used to be Amelia¡¯s man. No one would have guessed that the three were secretly rted this way.


    Madelyn pushed the door open and entered the private room. Initially, she thought the other party had not arrived but was surprised to see someone. there.


    Having heard sounds, Frank turned around. The sight of him took Madelyn. aback for a moment. ¡°How could it be you?¡±


    Frank was startled as well. ¡°Madelyn? You¡­ I¡¯m here to meet someone. important.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to meet a client!¡±


    The two met each other¡¯s gaze in shock. Frank walked up to her before. circling her, leaving Madelynpletely puzzled. ¡°What are you up to?¡±


    ¡°Is it really you, Madelyn?¡±


    ¡°Is Phyton Corporation yours?¡± Madelyn was also in disbelief.


    After all, Phyton Corporation was second only to Miller Group and Wilson¡¯s Sphere Group in go City. Madelyn found it hard to believe that a yboy. like Frank was in charge of Phyton Corporation.


    Besides, she had always considered Damian and Frank to be birds of the same feather, but Damian was more reliable than Frank.


    Now¡­


    She wondered if Frank was merely managing the project for thepany. But Jessie had stated very clearly that Madelyn would be meeting with the CEO of Phyton Corporation today.


    Moreover, Madelyn also knew that Frank wasn¡¯t one who would work for others.


    Frank noticed how him and teased her, ¡°What?


    n was as


    Are you the only one who¡¯s allowed to have secrets? Can¡¯t I be a serious. person?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Compared to her disbelief, Frank actually believed that she was the one. behind the design draft.


    Madelyn scoffed coldly. ¡°So, you do know that you¡¯re not a very serious. person either.¡±


    Among Andrew¡¯s close friends, Frank and Damian were the least serious


    ones. But Damian had be more restrained after Annie became


    pregnant.


    On the other hand, Frank would always be a yboy to Madelyn. It was hard to believe that he managed one of the top threepanies in go City.


    Frank said, ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s move on to the actual topic.¡±


    After saying that, he put out his cigarette. His usual carefree attitude with Andrew was reced with a serious andposed demeanor.


    Act Fast Free Bonus Time is Running Out!

 Love’ss 216

    The change in his demeanor only took a second. Madelyn thought it was a shame that Frank did not choose acting as a career.


    She took the design draft from her document folder and handed it to Frank. ¡°Ms. Carter told me you want to finalize some details?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Overall, your draft looks rather perfect. But I have my own requirements for certain details.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Madelyn didn¡¯t mind that. The biggest nightmare for architects would be to amend the overall concept. But if there were some minor changes, she could easily amend as per the client¡¯s request.


    The two began to discuss. Meanwhile, Benson was already waiting outside the room. ording to Andrew¡¯s instructions, he would enter right away if Madelyn wasn¡¯t out within half an hour.


    Madelyn and Frank indeed discussed the draft for more than half an hour. Although Frank usually seemed carefree and unreliable, he was actually very strict and demanding at work.


    Madelyn and Frank seemed rather confused when Benson pushed the door open and entered.


    ¡°Mr. Bardot?¡± Benson nced at Frank in shock.


    Frank nced at Benson before looking at Madelyn. ¡°Andrew truly cares. for you, but it¡¯s not right to keep a talent like you hidden.¡±


    Although there were many architect graduates these days, it wasn¡¯t easy to find a design that matched Frank¡¯s requirements.


    Before seeing Madelyn¡¯s designs, Frank had already met with more than 30 architects for his project, yet none of their designs matched his vision.


    Since it was merely a design draft, Frank initially did not even want to look. at it. Now, he was relieved that he did.


    Benson rxed when he saw it was Frank and asked Madelyn, ¡°Do you


    still need me to wait for you?¡±


    Madelyn checked the time. ¡°You can leave first. I still have an ongoing meeting.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Since it was Frank, Andrew didn¡¯t need to be too worried. Thus, it wasn¡¯t necessary for Benson to continue waiting here.


    After closing the door to the private room, Frank asked Madelyn, ¡°Didn¡¯t Andrew ask you to design anything?¡±


    Lately, Miller Group had also been epting bids for the project. They were even hiring experienced architects and studios. Andrew had such a hidden talent like Madelyn by his side, yet he did not recruit her.


    But Frank immediately realized that Madelyn hadn¡¯t been working for the past few years. Thus, Andrew probably had no clue about her abilities.


    Frank wondered if Andrew would get back at him for using Madelyn¡¯s first- ever design.


    ¡°Someone like him clearly doesn¡¯t think much of us newbies. He event asked me to prepare a draft for him. Where do I even find the time to prepare a draft within two days?<b>¡± </b>


    Ever since the studio announced itself as a branch of Unity Studio, Jessie had epted a few projects, and they were rushing to get them done.


    At that moment, Frank still wasn¡¯t aware that Madelyn¡¯s studio was doing quite well. He even considered giving Andrew a heads¨Cup to dy any retaliation ns he might have against him.


    The two talked from 3:00 pm to 6:00 pm before they were able to finalize certain details.


    Madelyn took out her phone while speaking to Frank, ¡°I¡¯ll send you a detailed design next Wednesday. We should be able to finalize everything. before Friday.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madelyn, but don¡¯t work so hard. We can dy it a little.¡±


    Frank was worried that if Madelyn worked overtime at night, he would be in serious trouble. By then, Andrew would definitely find ways to torture


    7/3


    him. But Frank couldn¡¯t bear not to use her design that was far too outstanding.


    Andrew had phoned Madelyn many times, but she had set her phone on silent mode to avoid disruptions. When she finally returned his calls, he clearly sounded unhappy.


    ¡°What took you so long?¡±


    ¡°Unlike you, not everyone will listen to everything I say.¡±


    ¡°Did Frank upset you?¡± N?vel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive ? material.


    Frank heard this and cast a pleading look at Madelyn immediately. Thus, she said sternly over the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude to my client.¡±


    ¡°Come downstairs. I¡¯m at the lobby entrance.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Wait for me.¡± After ending the call, Madelyn and Frank took the elevator down together. As they reached the entrance, they found Rowan waiting with a respectful and stern expression.


    Rowan was so irritating to look at. Madelyn would definitely find an


    opportunity to send him away to the desert again. She tossed her car keys to him before getting into Andrew¡¯s car right away.

 Love’ss 217

    Seeing that Andrew had personally driven over, Frank dropped his serious. attitude from earlier and leaned against the car window. He was back to


    his usual carefree self.


    ¡°Andrew, I¡¯ll need Madelyn¡¯s help this week, so don¡¯t take it out on me.¡±


    ¡°Get lost!¡± Andrew red icily at him.


    Frank stood up and scratched his nose before speaking to Madelyn, who was seated in the passenger seat, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you, Madelyn.¡±


    When Frank finished speaking, the car sped past him with a gust of wind


    from the exhaust.


    Through the rearview mirror, Madelyn saw Frank standing in the same. spot, talking to Rowan. He even patted Rowan, who looked rather disdainful, on the shoulder.


    She knew that Rowan was very close with Andrew and Laura when they were at Fsko. Although everyone else liked Elena, Rowan never did. Instead, he always preferred to be with Andrew and Laura.


    Andrew grabbed Madelyn¡¯s hand and ced it on the gear shift, asking, How did you manage to convince Frank? He can be very demanding.¡±


    Andrew was implying that Madelyn was merely a fresh graduate. There was no way Frank would have been impressed with her designs.


    Madelyn red at Andrew. ¡°Obviously, I¡¯m rather talented.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t think so highly of yourself. Tell me the truth!¡±


    ¡°The truth is Frank likes my design. I¡¯m now responsible for the Glomscape project next to Glomhill.¡±


    ¡°He let you handle Glomscape?¡±


    ¡°Yes. So, why don¡¯t you let me manage Glomhill as well, darling?¡± Madelyn cheekily looked at Andrew, whose gaze was filled with suspicion.


    Recently, thepany had been keeping in touch with Unity Studios so that they could coborate with Naomi. While the studio agreed to ept projects, they did not say a word about her. Clearly, Naomi was unlikely to take on the job.


    Seeing how Andrew remained quiet, Madelyn asked coquettishly, ¡°Will you let me have the job or not?¡±


    ¡°No! If you really want to handle the project, show me a draft first,¡± Andrew said while pinching her hand.


    Madelyn could do whatever she liked with the studio, but Andrew always kept business and personal matters separate. Thus, he couldn¡¯t let hispany get caught up in her antics.


    Madelyn wasn¡¯t angry at all even though she knew he didn¡¯t trust her. She merely scoffed. ¡°Let me warn you in advance. I won¡¯t be free in the future.¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    The way she spoke so confidently about her ability only made Andrewugh even more.


    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Madelyn asked.


    Andrew replied, ¡°Nothing much. Come back home whenever you don¡¯t feel like working anymore.¡±


    Did Andrew think she was just messing around? In that case, why did he even set up such arge studio for her? At that moment, Madelyn felt


    somewhat lost.


    Andrew asked, ¡°Are you able to pay your employees¡® wages this month?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve already epted two projects now. Jessie still has a few on hand, and we¡¯re waiting for the new architects to begin work. Paying their wages definitely won¡¯t be an issue<b>.</b>¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just riding on the name of Unity Studios. If you can¡¯t establish yourself within a short time, your studio will just go up in smoke. No one will seek you out in the future.¡±


    Madelyn¡¯s studio was merely riding on the name of Unity Studios. It would only take three months before her studio¡¯s true capability became


    Caparez


    apparent.


    Madelyn wordlessly looked at him. ¡°Why do you keep talking as if I¡¯ll have. to close my studio?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m reminding you that if you don¡¯t work hard for the next three. months, you¡¯ll truly have to shut down your business,¡± Andrew emphasized thest four words, making Madelyn sit up straight in frustration.


    She had not even opened the studio for a week, yet here he was, talking about the businessing to an end. His words truly infuriated her.


    Seeing how angry Madelyn was, Andrew affectionately patted the back of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. At least, my darling is willing to put in effort.¡±


    Did he mean that she was merely throwing a tantrum? Madelyn became even more speechless.


    By the time they arrived at Serenity Vi, dinner was ready. Although it was just simple pasta, Madelyn and Andrew enjoyed it. In fact, they liked having simple dinners.


    Andrew had carbonara pasta while Madelyn had bolognese pasta. She saw the bacon bits in his carbonara pasta and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I want a bite of your food.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Andrew nodded before cing the te before her and asking, ¡± Why don¡¯t we exchange our food?¡±


    ¡°No way. I want bolognese pasta,¡± Madelyn mumbled through a mouthful of pasta.

 Love’ss 218

    So many years had passed but had all had not changed Whenever she ate something different from Andiew the would always think that his food tasted be


    But whenever he suggested switching, she was unwilling to do so. As he wasn¡¯t a fan of bolognese pasta, he did not try hers.


    While Madelyn feasted on her pasta. Andrew asked, ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll take you to the Eternal Flower Valley The ciers there are shrinking. If we don¡¯t go this year, we¡¯ll have to wait until next year to see them,¡±


    Madelyn was interested in visiting the Eternal Flower Valley. However, she remembered that she had to provide aplete design draft for Frank by next Wednesday:


    She held back her disappointment. ¡°Absolutely not. I need to work overtime.¡±


    Andrew scowled, his eyes filled with displeasure. Madelyn used to love going out and could not be stopped. As long as he was free, he would take her out whenever he liked.


    Madelyn used to avoid Andrew while she was still entangled with Easton Now that she had finallye around, she became busy before they <b>could </b>even go out and have fun together.


    Andrew began to regret starting a studio for Madelyn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give Frank a call,¡± he said angrily


    The corners of Madelyn¡¯s mouth twitched as she grabbed his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t call him. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    So, you¡¯re not busy anymore?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you tomorrow


    Those words delighted Andrew. He usually had very little spare time on the weekends but had already nned everything for tomorrow morning. If


    Madelyn ended up not going out with him, he truly would have taken out his anger on Frank..


    With that in mind, he sent a text to Frank, who trembled upon receiving it. He immediately responded, ¡°It was Madelyn who decided on the timeline. for the draft. I¡¯m really not in a hurry.¡±


    He could tell from the text earlier that Andrew was rather disgru led. Thus, Frank was really concerned that he would vent his anger on him.


    After seeing the message, Andrew said to Madelyn, ¡°Frank said he¡¯s not in a rush. So, you can have the weekend off.¡±


    After all, going to the Eternal Flower Valley meant that they couldn¡¯t be back by tomorrow night.


    Madelyn was taken aback for a moment before hurriedly nodding. ¡°Sure. Anything you say.¡±


    Whatever he said went. After all, she had hurt him in her previous life. Since she had begged the heavens to return her to him<b>, </b>she would go. along with whatever he said.


    Andrew¡¯s irritation faded away as he firmly kissed Madelyn on the cheek while holding her in his arms. She pushed him off angrily. ¡°David and the rest are still here. Don¡¯t be so shameless.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in my own house, kissing my own wife. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Andrew pulled her onto hisp, and Madelyn pinched his waist.


    ¡°Be more serious.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I will be.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to the study first. Since I¡¯ll be apanying you for the next two days, I need to write down everything I¡¯ve discussed with Frank today.¡±


    Andrew did not want to let Madelyn go, but when he thought about how he would have her to himself for the next two days, he unwillingly released


    her.


    Madelyn got off hisp. As she was about to turn and leave, Andrew grabbed her wrist, causing her to struggle. ¡°What is it now?¡±


    If this continued, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do any work tonight.


    Andrew gestured toward his face. ¡°nning to leave me just like that?¡±


    Madelyn knew what he meant and subconsciously scanned her This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    surroundings She had no idea when David led the maids away since only she and Andrew remained in the room,


    Madelyn quickly pecked Andrew on the cheek. As she was about to back away, he grabbed the back of her neck. After some time, he finally let her go and ced his forehead against hers.


    ¡°Go. Don¡¯t work toote.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Quickly let me go. Otherwise, I can¡¯t finish my work.¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re not out within two hours, I¡¯ll go in there and drag you out,¡± Andrew remarked stubbornly.


    So, you should let me go now.¡±


    Andrew finally released her and watched Madelyn hurry off. She was afraid that she could no longer leave if she dyed any further.


    Act Fast Free Bonus Time Running Out!

 Love’ss 219

    After arriving in the study, Madelyn called Melinda to inform her that she would be leaving go City for two days. Thus, she could not drop off


    food to Serena tomorrow morning.


    Perhaps the incident in the morning had caused Melinda to sound slightly off on the phone. ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Are you still upset about what happened this morning?¡±


    ¡°Maddie, you and Ie from different worlds. It¡¯s not right for you to


    have a friend like me who owes you money.¡±


    ¡°Silly, don¡¯t mind what Roger said since that¡¯s how he is. I¡¯ve already told him off, and he also felt rather bad about what he said,¡± Madelyn


    After all, what Roger said was indeed very hurtful. It was normal for Melinda to feel upset.


    Seeing how Madelyn keptforting her, Melinda felt awkward to suggest that they should stop contacting each other. Melinda tried to calm herself and said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. What he said merely helped me realize how different I am from all of you.¡±


    ¡°Rx. I¡¯m Rena¡¯s godmother now. Even if you believe that we¡¯re from different worlds, nothing will change that.¡±


    ¡°Right. Thanks, Maddie.¡±


    ¡°I need to get back to work now. I just want to remind you not to overthink things. What¡¯s most important now is Rena¡¯s health.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    Madelyn rubbed her temples in frustration after ending the call with Melinda. Roger was truly something. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Madelyn initially wanted to help Serena, seeing how adorable yet pitiful she was. But what Roger said had left an unspoken tension between her


    and Melinda for no reason


    After disconnecting the call, Melinda hurriedly went to the consultation. room to dispose of the medical waste. Aside from the doctors on duty, everyone else had already gone home. She wanted to quickly finish cleaning up the ce so that she could head home to apany Serena.


    From the moment Madelyn came into their lives, Serena had turned rather clingy, suddenly always needingpany. Thus, Melinda wanted to spend more time with Serena.


    The hospital director was also considerate of Melinda, knowing that it wasn¡¯t easy to raise a child. Thus, she was offered a job as a cleaner at the hospital as well as a part¨Ctime job at the cafeteria.


    Melinda was also assigned to care for elderly patients at night, where she would have to check on them once in a while.


    It was exhausting to hold three jobs, but Melinda knew that she had to work hard. Since Madelyn was covering Serena¡¯s medical bills, Melinda couldn¡¯t afford to owe her any more than she did now.


    Madelyn worked on her draft until 10:00 pm. When Andrew entered the study on time, his heart fluttered as he saw how focused and serious she seemed under the light. He had never seen her this earnest before.


    Madelyn closed her folder before looking at Andrew standing by the door. Darling, it only took an extra minute.¡±


    Andrew smiled while walking toward her. He then carried her and strode out of the study while saying, ¡°You do look different when you¡¯re serious.¡±


    Hearing how he seemed to be talking to her like a child, Madelyn tugged at his cor and said, ¡°Darling, we¡¯re husband and wife now.¡±


    That was the downside of growing up together. Many times, Andrew still considered her a child, unable to forget her as a crybaby.


    Andrewughed even more heartily as he watched her protest. ¡°Yes,


    Maddie has indeed grown up.¡± But she still wasn¡¯t smart enough.


    Although Andrew did not say thosest words aloud, Madelyn still knew what was on his mind.


    After a shower, Andrewy on the bed with Madelyn in his arms. ¡°Did your ask Dr. Kent to change the medicine? It¡¯s not so bitter this time.¡±


    Andrew hummed in response. He always noticed how she had a hard time taking her medicine. He tasted it for himself and found the medicine to be terribly bitter.


    Meanwhile, Elena had drunkenly returned to Lakeview Vi.


    Amelia had been waiting for her the whole day, having felt uneasy after meeting Madelyn. The sight of Elena lookingpletely unlike her usualdylike self made Amelia furious.

 Love’ss 220

    As Amelia approached Elena, she waved her hand in front of her nose<b>, </b>frowning at the overwhelming smell of alcohol. ¡°Why did you drink so much? What kind of behavior is this?¡±


    The tone in Amelia¡¯s voice was the same one she used to use with Madelyn. The frustration that Elena had been bottling up suddenly surged within her, like a beast ready to break free from its chains.


    Her eyes were red from the alcohol as she red at Amelia with a


    sharpness that cut through her drunken gaze.


    Amelia was taken aback by the intensity of that look and lost her


    this.¡±


    ¡°Wasting my life? Why am I wasting my life? Because the Garcia family is done for! You¡¯re no longer Mrs. Garcia, and I¡¯m no longer the eldest daughter of the Garcia family!¡± Elena shouted.


    Amelia went silent. Her face paled when Elenashed out suddenly. The Garcia family was bankrupt?


    She had been in denial, refusing to ept the reality of their situation. She continued to keep in touch with her social circle. However,tely, all those women she used to be close with had started avoiding her and cutting phone calls short with flimsy excuses.


    Now, Elena¡¯s blunt words forced her to face the truth. The Garcia family was truly finished.


    ¡°What are you saying? Even if the Garcia family is bankrupt, I spent so much time and effort raising you. You still have plenty of opportunities ahead of you,¡± Amelia said.


    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to get into Unity Studios? Without bringing in any valuable projects, I¡¯d have a hard time even getting a permanent position!¡± Elena retorted.


    du woke the snow how strict the


    root genitur gate a today she had a rare chance to


    cur a project that she could


    ronda xe da mulos sich it was her best shot at


    Bachan the site se suuhed anything at her career She was confident than she would say that the cis family¡¯s wealth Flowever, now, with the tamly but is the ad nothing left


    Anke wat en the warned to sail Dana to forget about working so hard, but she knew Unity Studios reputation. The studio was filled with top taberths, and the work was highly value!


    With the Garcia family finished, if Elena could make a name for herself the studio, they wouldn¡¯t be left with nothing. Who cared about a family business? Raising a sessful child was the real source of pride.


    The thought of regaining her lost status through Elena¡¯s sess made Amelia soften. Tm sorry. Elena. I was just worried when I saw you drinking so much. It pains me to see you like this. ¡±


    Elena¡¯s head pounded from the alcohol. Instead of calming her, Amelia¡¯s words only made her angrier. ¡°There will be more instances like this


    anyway¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Amelis asked.


    have to work hard Madelyn has Andrew by her side. But what do I have? Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    I need to outshine her at work,¡± Elena s?id.


    At that moment, Elena realized just how vastly different her life was from Madelyns. Why did Madelyn get to have everything while she was left with nothing? What made Madelyn so special?


    Amelia was confused ¡°What does this have to do with Madelyn?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? She works at the studio too. She already has Andrew, so why is she there? is she trying to take something else from me?


    The thought of Madelyn stealing yet another opportunity from her filled


    Chary¨C220


    Elena with rage.


    Amelia¡¯s face grew paler as she processed the news that Madelyn was also at Unity Studios.


    ¡°What is she doing there?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a designer. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± Elena asked.


    Amelia had truly been in the dark. However, now, it all made sense about why Madelyn had shown up today at Milton Building, where sessful people often conducted business.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!