《Our Bigshot Mommy Is Pretty and Cool》 Chapter 1 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Late at night. ??In a dark and damp alley, the wind was bone-piercingly cold and the weather was the kind where droplets of water instantly froze. Madeline West was only wearing a thin nightdress which was stretched taut by her big belly, so much so that it rode up and her skirt swayed back and forth with her hurried footsteps. ¡°Quickly! She¡¯s over here!¡± The entrance of the alley emitted sounds of tumultuous footsteps. Madeline¡¯s heart tightened and her footsteps became increasingly messy. Wave after wave of sharp pain came from her stomach, but Madeline could not care less. Her face was deathly pale as she hugged her stomach and ran with all her might. However, at the next corner, she suddenly stopped, her eyes filled with despair. It was a dead end. The people behind her had already caught up to her and a few burly men in black surrounded her. Madeline leaned against the wall in fear, her voice trembling as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t come over!¡± ¡°Hahaha, missy, why are you running?¡± A delicate sound of laughter came from behind the men. The men in black made way for a woman in luxurious clothes with exquisite makeup as she leisurely walked closer. ¡°Courtney West! Sure enough, it is you!¡± Madeline said through gritted teeth as her eyes flashed with intense hatred. Eight months ago, she was knocked out at home and forced to have s*x with a stranger. She was then somehow imprisoned for another eight months! It was only yesterday that she unintentionally heard from the nurse that the person monitoring her actually wanted the child in her stomach! ¡°What on earth are you trying to do!¡± Madeline stared fixedly at Courtney. This was her younger sister from the same father but a different mother. She looked lovely and delicate on the outside, but her heart was extremely malicious. She had long been chased out of the house by her scumbag father and his family, but she did not expect that Courtney was actually unwilling to let her go! ¡°Big sister, if you obediently give birth to the child, I can still leave your corpse intact.¡± Courtney examined her exquisite nails and smiled exceptionally smugly. Madeline was disappointed to the bone. She could see the ruthlessness in Courtney¡¯s eyes; she really wanted to kill her! ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it! I won¡¯t let anyone hurt my child!¡± Madeline clenched her teeth. She hugged her stomach and without thinking, rushed out. But at the next moment, Courtney smiled sinisterly and reached out to give her a hard push! Madeline fell heavily onto the ground and felt a sharp pain in her stomach. It felt as if liquid was flowing out from between her legs. Fear arose in her heart and her face instantly turned as pale as paper! ¡°It hurts¡­ my child¡­¡± Sensing that something was slowly disappearing from her stomach, Madeline¡¯s hatred rapidly grew like a vine in her heart. She glared at Courtney with red eyes, almost screaming at the top of her voice she said, ¡°Courtney! You will die a horrible death!¡± ¡°Tch, you¡¯re still so stubborn even at death¡¯s door,¡± Courtney mocked with disdain. ¡°Second Miss West, what do we do now?¡± a man in black standing at the side asked in a soft voice. Courtney looked at him coldly and said in a menacing tone, ¡°What did you just call me?¡± The man in black hurriedly lowered his head. ¡°Miss West!¡± ¡°Hmph, remember, the West Family can only have one Miss¡­ me!¡± Courtney looked at Madeline, who was hugging her stomach and hissing in pain. A trace of killing intent flashed past her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting anymore. Cut the child out now!¡± An hour later, Madeline, who had been injected with anesthesia, was lying in an operating theater with a pale face in a crude and dark clinic. She was unconscious. ¡°Waah¡ª¡± Following a loud sound of wailing, a nurse with a mask wrapped the two babies up and hurriedly carried them out of the delivery room. Courtney was sitting right outside the operating theater. The nurse ran over and handed over the baby boy in her hand. She beamed with joy. ¡°Congratulations, Miss West. You have a son.¡± ¡°Hmph, that b*tch sure is lucky to actually have a son!¡± Courtney received the baby, and her long and slender nails lightly scratched across the child¡¯s tender cheeks. The stinging pain made the baby cry loudly. Courtney dumped him onto the chair beside her in disdain. ¡°You¡¯re just like your mother. You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you!¡± The nurse heard the jealousy and ruthlessness in her voice and her eyelids twitched. ¡°Miss West, you promised¡­¡± ¡°Relax. With this child, I¡¯ll be the most respected woman in Washington DC. Would there be anything I can¡¯t give you that you want?¡± Courtney smiled smugly, her face full of arrogance. ¡°Indeed, indeed¡­ What about the other one?¡± ¡°Is it a boy or girl?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a girl.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s useless.¡± A trace of ruthlessness flashed past Courtney¡¯s eyes. She looked around the dirty and dilapidated clinic and waved her hand casually. ¡°This clinic is too annoying. Burn it.¡± ¡°But¡­ Yes!¡± Kicking up a cloud of dust, the sports car disappeared in a few seconds. A moment later, the clinic burst into raging flames. The sirens of the fire trucks from afar approached, but by the time they had arrived, the place had burned to the ground. ¡­ Five years later, in Washington¡¯s Astor Family Estate. In the huge mansion, the atmosphere was so quiet that even the air seemed to have frozen. Several computers were working at the same time. All kinds of complicated images flashed across the screens, finally leaving only a small red dot that was rapidly moving. ¡°Mr Astor, we¡¯ve found the Young Sir, He¡¯s on the State Route 14 Highway!¡± the bodyguard shouted excitedly when he saw the location. On the sofa, an unrivaled handsome man was leaning against the backrest. His face was very attractive, and his sculpted cheekbones made his face sharp and defined. His deep gaze and high nose bridge; every part of him was like a work of art by God. His features were compatible with the man¡¯s cold and dangerous aura. His thin lips that were slightly pursed, and his inky black eyes which were filled with a chilly aura, made people not dare to look at him directly. Upon hearing his bodyguard¡¯s words, the man¡¯s sharp gaze landed on the screen. He stood up, his slender and tall figure exuding an aura that kept people away. The moment he opened his mouth, his command made people¡¯s hearts turn cold. ¡°Chase after him!¡± On the State Route 14 Highway, a fiery red Ferrari was chasing after the van in front of it at full speed. The two vehicles were chasing after each other, and from time to time, they would collide with each other and produce soul-stirring sparks. ¡°Mom, can you do it or not? You can¡¯t even catch up to a van!¡± A little girl¡¯s mocking voice came through from the earpiece, and Madeline rolled her eyes. ¡°Aurora West, if you dare to be disrespectful again, I¡¯ll make Lucifer stop teaching you computer skills!¡± She warned her. ¡°Teeheehee, it doesn¡¯t matter if he stops teaching me. My skills have already surpassed Mr. Lucifer¡¯s!¡± Madeline¡¯s lips twitched. She had completely lost her temper at this precocious daughter of hers. Madeline was angered by her daughter and so she vented her anger on the van and its driver that had scratched her car and scolded her with all kinds of names. She resolutely stepped on the accelerator, and the Ferrari let out a loud growl. With a beautiful swerve, she directly forced the van to stop. ¡°F*ck, are you f*cking crazy? B*tch¡­¡± A middle-aged man who was full of vulgarities got out of the van and walked towards the Ferrari with a fierce expression. Madeline put on some special glasses, and the man¡¯s information appeared before her eyes. ¡°Woah! Mom, run! This person is an escaped prisoner on death row!¡± Aurora¡¯s voice immediately became nervous. Madeline also had the thought to run, but the man had already opened the car door. She touched the pepper spray in her bag and could only walk out. ¡°Mister, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding! How much does your car cost? How about I pay for it?¡± Madeline raised her hands and smiled extremely innocently. Her charming peach blossom eyes did not look threatening at all. The man was about to say something when the back window of the van slowly rolled down. A brawny man¡¯s voice urgently rang out. ¡°Don¡¯t delay things! Let¡¯s leave quickly!¡± Madeline looked over, only to meet a pair of limpid and beautiful eyes through the open crack of the car¡¯s window. It was a pretty and cute little boy. His clothes were messy and his hands and feet were tied very tightly. Upon seeing Madeline, the little boy¡¯s eyes lit up, and his soft and pitiful voice sounded out. ¡°Mommy, save me!¡± Chapter 2 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations At that moment, there was an indescribable ache in Madeline¡¯s heart. It was as if something was tugging at her, and she involuntarily took two steps forward. The brawny and vicious fugitive¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Mind your own business!¡± He cursed in a low voice and glared fiercely at Madeline. Madeline sighed silently. She also didn¡¯t want to poke her nose into this matter, but she was too kind and as a mother, she was full of maternal love. The fugitive turned around and cursed as he walked towards the van. However, in an instant, his eyes widened, and he rigidly froze on the spot. Thud! Suddenly, the fugitive¡¯s frozen body fell to the ground. Madeline held Aurora¡¯s creation, a powerful pervert repellent spray, and smiled especially innocently at the man in the car. ¡°Damn it! You¡¯re courting death!¡± The man in the car immediately opened the door and rushed out. Madeline tightened her grip on the pepper spray and took two small steps back. Then, with a flying kick, she sent the man staggering back two steps. She swiftly pressed the nozzle and the spray shot straight into the man¡¯s eyes. In the next moment, the man hugged his head in pain and rolled around on the ground. ¡°Mom is so awesome!¡± Aurora¡¯s happy cheers transmitted through the earpiece. Before Madeline could answer, a little cutie abruptly tumbled down from the van. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± The little cutie that was tied up like a trussed turkey was wearing a hospital gown. His face was flushed red, and it was obvious that he was sick. When the little boy heard Madeline¡¯s voice, he struggled to raise his head. His eyes, glistening because of fever, were filled with longing and fondness, and the image was so adorable that it could melt anyone¡¯s heart. ¡°Mommy¡­¡± The little boy cried out pitifully. In the next moment, he fainted. Madeline looked around at the empty surroundings; she really didn¡¯t want to handle these sorts of tasks. But¡­ ¡°Nevermind, you¡¯re really lucky to have met me!¡± Madeline resigned herself to her fate, rubbing her forehead. She carried the little boy back into the car and sped off. Two minutes later, a row of black luxury cars surrounded the van. The bodyguards promptly seized the two fugitives on the ground. A group of people searched the surroundings and in the end reported with apprehension to the person in the car. ¡°Mr¡­ Mr. Astor, we didn¡¯t find the Young Sir¡­¡± The atmosphere in the car instantly dropped to a freezing point. The expression of the man in the car was freezing cold and a frightful murderous intent flashed across his eyes. ¡°Continue searching! Find him at all costs!¡± In Inova Fairfax Hospital, Madeline stood by the bed and stared in dismay at the little cute boy, who was tugging at the corner of her clothes, unwilling to let go. She regretted it! She had already discovered the identity of this little cutie ¡ª the heir to the top aristocratic family in Washington, Hugo Astor. This status was too precious to be involved with! It was said that the Astor family¡¯s elders doted on this little heir a lot. It was as if everything revolved around him, catering to his each and every need. It was also just this morning that this little heir was kidnapped from the hospital! The Astor Family had turned the entire city upside down in search of him. Who would have thought that this little heir was in her hands now? This was really a troublesome matter that could not be explained clearly at all. Also¡­ If she didn¡¯t remember wrongly, Aurora had previously used a company to practice on and had hacked into their computer system, causing their security software to collapse for an entire day¡­ It seemed like this unlucky company was the Astor Corporation? Madeline internally cried. She had planned to slip away when the little heir woke up, but who could have thought that in the next second, he would grab the corner of her clothes tightly, unwilling to let go! ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t leave me behind¡­¡± the little boy sobbed with a heartbreaking voice as he looked at her pitifully. Madeline¡¯s lips twitched, and she tapped the little boy¡¯s forehead. ¡°Little one, this is our first time meeting. Don¡¯t randomly call me Mommy.¡± The little boy blinked his limpid eyes and his exquisite little face revealed a charming smile. ¡°No, you are my mother!¡± Madeline: ¡°¡­¡± Did this child damage his brain? They were silently confronting each other, when the door of the ward was suddenly pushed open. A group of bodyguards dressed in black entered in a single file. The last person to enter was a cold figure. Just as Madeline saw the person¡¯s face clearly, Aurora started chattering in her earpiece. ¡°Woah! Mom, this person is so handsome! I want him to be my father!¡± Madeline: ¡°¡­¡± This was an apex level figure who could shake the entire city with just a stomp of his foot. He exuded a sense of menace and danger from head to toe! Her daughter really had good taste! Was she not afraid that her mother would be thrown into the river to feed the fish?! ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The man strode to the bed. His deep voice was as elegant and solemn as a cello, exuding a chill that made one shiver. The little boy¡¯s earlier soft and adorable expression had long since vanished from his face. It was tense, revealing an expression of indifference that was exactly the same as his father¡¯s. He pointed at Madeline and pretended to be cool as he demanded. ¡°I want her to be my mother!¡± Augustus¡¯ sharp gaze fixed on the woman standing beside him. Madeline was internally speechless and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. Your child might be lacking motherly love too much. I only saved his life and he kept pestering me and calling me Mommy.¡± With that, she turned to leave. However, the hem of her shirt was grabbed tightly again. When she turned around, the little boy was looking at her pitifully, ¡°Don¡¯t go. I like you. Stay and be my mother. My father is very rich.¡± Augustus raised his eyebrows in surprise. It was as if this was the first time he had met his son. This little fellow had never been close to anyone, and his personality was alienating, just like his. Usually, he wouldn¡¯t even acknowledge his own biological mother, but now, he was pulling a strange woman and acting pitifully? Madeline didn¡¯t dare to use strength to pull away. She could only gesture helplessly at Augustus. ¡°Mr. Astor, please ask your son to let go.¡± Augustus narrowed his eyes when he heard her. There was a dangerous edge to his voice. ¡°You know who I am?¡± Hearing his suspicious tone, Madeline¡¯s dissatisfaction accumulated. This little brat was so difficult to deal with and his dad was also unreasonable. Did she save the wrong person? She couldn¡¯t help but laugh sarcastically as she derisively said, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t know your name? Your photo is always on the front cover of finance magazines! Although, I say Mr. Astor, if I had known this was your son, I definitely wouldn¡¯t have saved him. After all, you¡¯re so resourceful, what are two mere kidnappers to you?!¡± Chapter 3 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Augustus¡¯ expression hardened. This was the first time he had met such a sharp-tongued woman! Before he could speak, the door was suddenly pushed open again. A fragrant figure quickly rushed into the room and aggressively pushed Madeline away. She hugged the little cutie and cried. ¡°Mommy¡¯s little baby! Are you alright?!¡± Madeline steadied herself. After recognizing the person, her expression instantly became as cold as ice. She looked at the woman with hatred and disgust. This woman was¡­ Courtney! She saved Courtney¡¯s son? The little cutie¡¯s grip on Madeline¡¯s clothes was forcibly loosened, and he immediately grew anxious. He frantically pushed the lady in front of him. ¡°Let go of me! Bad woman!¡± he screamed. ¡°How can you say that about Mommy! You¡¯re the flesh and blood that Mom was pregnant with for ten months!¡± Courtney tearfully said as she increased her strength in hugging her precious son. Augustus frowned slightly as he watched the little cutie¡¯s face turn a flushed red. He pushed her away. ¡°Enough!¡± he commanded. Courtney stood up gracefully and pretended to wipe her tears in response. She called out softly, ¡°Augustus.¡± Disgust flashed across Augustus¡¯ eyes. Her son was kidnapped, but this woman had exquisite makeup on and was full of energy. She was even acting pretentiously in front of him! If not for the DNA test, he really wouldn¡¯t have believed that this woman was his son¡¯s biological mother! ¡°Daddy! Mommy¡¯s gone!¡± Hugo wailed. While they were speaking, Madeline had actually slipped away in the chaos! ¡°Stop fussing! She is not your mother.¡± Augustus stared at his crying son, his eyes gloomy. The little boy stared at him with teary eyes. He rolled around on the bed willfully as if he wasn¡¯t afraid of Augustus¡¯ coldness at all. ¡°I don¡¯t care! I just want her to be my mother!¡± he said as he whined. ¡°Hugo Astor!¡± Augustus reprimanded him through gritted teeth. Courtney, who was standing at the side, hugged Hugo again in order to put up a show of motherly love. ¡°Isn¡¯t Mommy right here¡­¡± She coaxed. ¡°Ah!¡± She was suddenly forcefully pushed away by Hugo. Her back hit the corner of the table, and her face contorted in pain. ¡°You¡¯re not my mother! You bad woman!¡± he shouted. Courtney rubbed her waist and lowered her head to hide the viciousness and murderous intent in her eyes. Sooner or later, she would deal with this little b*stard! ¡°Leave. He needs to recuperate.¡± Augustus settled Hugo down, not even looking at her. No one dared to disobey Augustus. Courtney was secretly angry that she couldn¡¯t get close to him again this time. However, she had no choice but to leave unwillingly. Who was the woman just then that the little b*stard was talking about? How could this ingrate call an unfamiliar woman his mother? She had to investigate this matter thoroughly! The red Ferrari had already been wrecked to the point that it had to be scrapped. Madeline threw the car in the junkyard and took another car from the shop to replace it. When she got home and opened the door, Madeline saw that the house was filled with smoke, making people cough continuously. ¡°Cough cough¡­ Aurora! What did you do again!¡± she said Madeline hurriedly opened the window to ventilate the house. Just as she said that, a fair and cute little girl ran out of the bedroom, holding a test tube that was emitting thick smoke! ¡°Mommy, look! This is my new invention!¡± Aurora said as she raised the test tube. Her watery peach blossom eyes were filled with excitement. ¡°Just a bit of the liquid formed, once this cools down, can intoxicate an elephant!¡± Madeline was about to explode. Why was it that other people¡¯s daughters were well-behaved and quiet, and their mother¡¯s little bestie, but her daughter was so mischievous, causing trouble everywhere?! What mommy¡¯s little bestie? She was practically a ticking time bomb! Madeline looked at her daughter who was still blinking innocently at her and acting cute. She wanted to pick her up and spank her. ¡°Aurora! I told you not to do dangerous experiments at home!¡± she said. Aurora tilted her head, her delicate and cute little face full of slyness. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t forget that the money we can¡¯t even finish spending in our account was exchanged with my inventions!¡± she said Madeline sneered and bluntly threatened her daughter. ¡°My dear daughter, don¡¯t forget that once I give the order, no one will dare to buy your inventions!¡± She retorted. ¡°Waa¡ª Mom, you¡¯re burning the bridge once you¡¯ve used it!¡± Aurora wailed. Madeline snorted and made a chopping gesture with her hand. ¡°Clean up the room. Otherwise, I¡¯ll show you what a real bridge burning is!¡± She warned. Aurora pouted and unwillingly went to get the broom. ¡°You¡¯re indeed the most evil mother!¡± she said. The mother-daughter pair were noisy and lively, but the atmosphere in the Astor Family mansion seemed to have stagnated. Augustus stared at the note on the coffee table, his brows furrowed in fury. His expression was as cold as a winter¡¯s frozen river. There was a line of large words written crookedly on the paper. ¡°I¡¯m going to find my mother! Don¡¯t miss me!¡± Courtney stood opposite him, not daring to breathe loudly for fear of angering Augustus. After this father and son pair had returned from the hospital, they seemed to be in a cold war. Hugo had locked himself inside his room without a word and Augustus had directly returned to his office. Without Augustus around, Courtney couldn¡¯t be bothered to deal with the little b*stard and decided to go shopping. Who would have thought that when she returned at night, that little b*stard would have actually left a note and ran away from home! Courtney trembled with fear and forced a smile, inching closer to Augustus. ¡°Augustus, don¡¯t worry. Hugo is so smart. He will definitely be fine,¡± she said. Augustus¡¯ gaze was as sharp as a knife as he glared at her. ¡°How can you be sure that he¡¯s fine? No mother would be so calm after her child ran away. Moreover, he was just kidnapped this morning!¡± he said. Courtney¡¯s heart jumped. She was frightened by his malicious gaze that she took two steps back. Trembling, she explained. ¡°I¡­ Of course I¡¯m worried about him. You don¡¯t know how scared I was when he was kidnapped this morning!¡± Augustus¡¯ eyes landed on the shopping bags that were piled on the floor. His gaze was cold and intimidating. ¡°Our child has just returned home from the hospital, yet you went shopping. This is how you show your concern?¡± He mocked her. He had long seen through her materialistic nature. She was cruel and despicable! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the psychiatrist had said that children could not lack the company of their biological mothers during their childhood, he would have chased her out long ago. After what happened today, he hated her even more. Biological mother? His son might as well be without one! ¡°I¡­¡± she stammered. Augustus looked at her as though she was a dead person! Courtney was scared speechless. ¡°Get lost!¡± He interrupted her in a low voice. Augustus had lost his patience. Courtney hurried upstairs with trembling legs, but she silently cursed that little b*stard thousands of times in her heart. She only wished that he had died in that fire with that b*tch! She had thought that with this little b*stard, she would be able to marry Augustus and become Mrs. Astor. Who would have known that Augustus would only acknowledge the little b*stard¡¯s status but refuse to marry her? Moreover, this little bastard was weird as well. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge her as his mother and kept calling her a bad woman! Once Courtney thought of these frustrating matters, she gritted her teeth in hatred. This little bastard was just like his mother, they were both ungrateful b*stards! ¡°Mr. Astor! We¡¯ve found the surveillance footage!¡± the butler said. He swiftly placed the laptop in front of Augustus and played it. The video clearly showed Hugo wearing his small sunglasses and carrying a big school bag. He swaggered to the side door and arrogantly waved farewell at the camera! A ridiculing smile appeared on his cold little face, as if he was mocking the alarm system at home. The alarm really hadn¡¯t gone off! The surveillance footage, after that scene was viewed by them, was also deleted! Augustus¡¯ face was as dark as thunder. He was both amused and angry. He was indeed his son. He had remembered to turn off the alarms and delete the surveillance camera footage! ¡°Check the hospital¡¯s surveillance cameras and find that woman!¡± He ordered. Chapter 4 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°Mom, who was that handsome guy you met this morning?¡± Aurora asked. Madeline had just served the last dish on the table when she saw Aurora biting her fork and looking at her expectantly. She removed her apron and raised her eyebrows slightly. ¡°You didn¡¯t check his identity? You didn¡¯t compare your DNA either?¡± she questioned. Based on her understanding of Aurora, this mischievous little fellow, she would have definitely dug up all of Augustus¡¯ background information already. Unexpectedly, Aurora wrinkled her nose cheerlessly. ¡°I tried, but I didn¡¯t find anything! Mr. Handsome¡¯s information is completely confidential. I couldn¡¯t find anything at all!¡± She sighed. ¡°That¡¯s normal,¡± Madeline replied as she picked up a piece of grilled pork and put it into her daughter¡¯s bowl. ¡°If you want him to be your father, I have to be his wife first. However, with his status, there are hundreds of women who want to marry him. Your mother still has a ¡®burden¡¯ like you. The chances of me marrying into a rich family like his are practically null,¡± she said. ¡°So, you¡¯d better hurry up and eat your meat and stop imagining things.¡± She finished speaking. Aurora took a bite of the fragrant pork and sighed softly. ¡°All the children in my kindergarten have fathers, only I don¡¯t. Sigh, I¡¯m so sad.¡± Words from such an exquisite and cute little angel were simply lethal. However, Madeline knew her daughter¡¯s personality very well. She immediately rolled her eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the kindergarten¡¯s teachings are too stupid and you don¡¯t want to go? How can you get to know the other children?¡± she asked. Aurora tried to act pitiful but failed. She started to make a fuss. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Anyway, I want Mr. Handsome to be my Daddy!¡± she said. ¡°I think what you want is a spanking,¡± Madeline replied. The doorbell suddenly rang, interrupting the mother and daughter pair¡¯s bickering. Madeline didn¡¯t even raise her head and waved her cutlery. ¡°Aurora, go and open the door.¡± Aurora jumped off the chair. As soon as she opened the door, a small figure darted in like a rocket. Before the mother and daughter pair could react, he had dived into Madeline¡¯s arms. Aurora maintained her posture of opening the door. She gaped in shock. ¡°Wh¡­ what was that thing that just passed by?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a thing,¡± the little person in Madeline¡¯s arms replied angrily. Madeline got a headache when she saw the little fellow¡¯s face clearly. ¡°Hugo Astor? Why are you here?¡± she asked. Hugo hugged Madeline¡¯s neck tightly and refused to let go. He complained to her with an aggrieved expression. ¡°Mommy, I came to find you. Don¡¯t leave me behind again.¡± Madeline: ¡°¡­¡± What was wrong with the little heir of the Astor Family? Why was he insisting on calling her ¡°Mommy¡±? ¡°How did you find this place¡­ Wait, actually, answer this first; does your father know that you¡¯re here?¡± Hugo blinked his eyes innocently and pursed his lips without saying anything. Madeline had a bad premonition. She immediately stood up with him in her arms and said, ¡°This won¡¯t do, I¡¯ll send you home.¡± ¡°Mom, don¡¯t chase him away. Look at how pitiful he looks,¡± Aurora said. Aurora ran over and gave Hugo a meaningful look. Her big black sparkling eyes darted around, and it was obvious that she was scheming something. Hugo¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately nodded like a chicken pecking at grain. ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m so pitiful. I¡¯m both thirsty and hungry, and I don¡¯t have a mother yet,¡± he said. As if responding to his words, his stomach rumbled. Madeline saw the desire and anxiety in Hugo¡¯s eyes, and her heart softened. In the end, she put a hand on her forehead helplessly. ¡°Okay, you should eat first.¡± She conceded. ¡°Yay!¡± The two children cheered at the same time. Augustus stood by the door with a cold expression on his face. The bodyguards behind him stood with their hands behind their backs, ready to charge in immediately at his command. The door was not shut tightly, and the sound of the two children laughing and playing could be heard. Augustus could easily tell that one of the voices belonged to his son. He even heard his son acting pitiful and cute to stay here. Mixed feelings emerged in his heart. Hugo¡¯s personality was very similar to his, both indifferent and calm. Usually, he didn¡¯t act like a child, but when he was angry, he was irritable and prone to self-sabotage. He had almost never seen Hugo smile, let alone be so happy and playful like this. His current actions were more like a normal child. ¡°Mr. Astor, should we take action and bring the Young Sir out now?¡± the bodyguard asked in a low voice. Augustus frowned slightly and in the end waved his hand. ¡°No need. Go back,¡± he said. As he turned around, Augustus glanced profoundly at the door behind him. He was very curious about what kind of magical appeal this woman had to make his son like her so much. Madeline originally wanted to keep the little heir only for a meal, but who knew that in order to stay here, this child kept eating and eating until he was bloated! Seeing the little heir rolling on the sofa in pain, Madeline¡¯s cold heart softened once again. She helped him up and massaged his body. ¡°Wow, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore! Mommy, you¡¯re so amazing!¡± He praised her. The little heir looked at her with sparkling eyes which were overflowing with admiration. Madeline was slightly speechless. No matter what, this innocent looking boy didn¡¯t look like the son of Courtney, that vicious woman! A stabbing pain arose in Madeline¡¯s heart at the thought of Courtney. That woman was a vicious murderer! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that she was lucky, both her daughter and her would have lost their lives in that sea of fire. Now that she is back, she must make Courtney wish she was dead! Thinking of the past, Madeline¡¯s heart turned cold again. She looked at Hugo with slight annoyance and said coldly, ¡°Aurora, I¡¯ll leave him to you. I¡¯ll send him away tomorrow morning.¡± Hugo¡¯s big eyes immediately welled up with tears when he heard this, but Madeline ignored his pitiful gaze and turned to enter the study. Seeing that she had left, Hugo held back his tears. ¡°Wow, you really know how to act.¡± Applauded Aurora, who had witnessed the entire process. If she had this skill of controlling her tears, she wouldn¡¯t have been spanked by her mother so many times. Hugo sighed. ¡°What¡¯s the use of good acting? Mommy still doesn¡¯t want me.¡± Aurora¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That¡¯s my mother! Where¡¯s your own mother?¡± She immediately retorted. A hint of coldness flashed across Hugo¡¯s face. He answered sullenly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a mother!¡± ¡°How pitiful.¡± Aurora sighed. Her eyes darted around cunningly and she said, ¡°How about this, we¡¯ll go look for your father tomorrow and let him marry my mother. That way, my mother will also be your mother!¡± Hugo¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That makes sense,¡± he said. ¡°Then it¡¯s settled!¡± she said. Aurora giggled. This little heir was so gullible! Early the next morning. The two children snuck out of the house while Madeline was still sleeping and took a taxi to Astor Corporation. When they arrived at the front desk, Hugo turned to the receptionist and said adorably with a straight face, ¡°Hello, my name is Hugo Astor. I¡¯m looking for my father, Augustus Astor.¡± The receptionist lady¡¯s heart melted when she saw the two children, who were both good-looking and cute. ¡°Wait a minute, I¡¯ll contact the CEO¡¯s office,¡± she said. The receptionist at the front desk used a gentle voice, but after making the call, she was muttering to herself internally. She had only heard that the CEO had a son, but she had never heard of him having a daughter. ¡°Who did you say came to find me? My son and daughter?¡± he asked. Augustus suspected that he had misheard his secretary. ¡°Where did I get a daughter from?¡± he said to himself doubtfully. Chapter 5 Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations The secretary looked troubled. ¡°That¡¯s what the receptionist said¡­¡± he said. Augustus frowned. ¡°Send them up,¡± he said. After a short while, the secretary brought the two children up. Augustus raised his head to look. The child walking in front was indeed his son, but who was the cute little girl behind him? ¡°You finally know that you should return home?¡± He put down his pen and stared at Hugo coldly. Hugo also pulled a long face and looked at him coolly. ¡°No, I¡¯m very happy at my mother¡¯s place. I don¡¯t want to go back to the place that has that bad woman in it!¡± He retorted. Augustus¡¯ eyes glinted coldly. ¡°Hugo Astor, watch your words. The one at home is your real mother,¡± he said. ¡°No she isn¡¯t!¡± Hugo retorted fiercely. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look at me the way a mother should. She hates me, and wants me dead!¡± ¡°Hugo Astor!¡± Augustus¡¯ tone became sterner and anger faintly flashed across his face. Although he did not like that woman, he did not want his son to be accused of not acknowledging his biological mother. Hugo was extremely disappointed. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you willing to believe me?¡± he asked. Augustus¡¯ heart was indeed slightly moved when he saw how dejected his son looked. It was not that he didn¡¯t believe him, but the DNA test report was written very clearly. It was an undeniable fact. Aurora, who was listening at the side, was very confused. ¡°Um¡­ Sorry to interrupt, but¡­ Hugo Astor, you already have a mother?!¡± she questioned Hugo with a dark expression. Hugo shook his head and denied it vehemently. ¡°No, I don¡¯t¡± Aurora turned to Augustus and tilted her head as she asked, ¡°Mr. Handsome, do you have a wife?¡± Her big limpid eyes and her white dress made her look exactly like a little angel. Augustus¡¯ expression softened involuntarily. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± he replied. ¡°That¡¯s good then!¡± she said. Aurora beamed with joy as she quickly walked around the desk and threw herself into Augustus¡¯ arms. ¡°Mr. Handsome, can you be my father? My mother is very beautiful and capable!¡± Augustus instinctively caught the little girl in his arms. He didn¡¯t know how to react when he felt the small and soft body in his arms. Strangely, a corner of his heart seemed to have collapsed, becoming soft and aching. ¡°Who is your mother?¡± he asked. Aurora¡¯s face was full of pride and excitement. ¡°My mother saved Hugo yesterday!¡± she answered. That woman again? Augustus¡¯ expression chilled slightly. He had already investigated thoroughly last night. Although this woman¡¯s identity was hidden very deeply, he still managed to dig out her identity with his extensive information network. This woman was Courtney¡¯s half-sister! It was said that she had gotten pregnant before marriage five years ago. Her reputation was ruined and she committed suicide in a broken alley. However, for some reason, the person who was supposed to have died was still alive. Something about this made Augustus wary. It was already very unpleasant for his son to insist on calling this kind of woman his mother. Now, this woman¡¯s daughter wanted him to marry her? Who did she think he, Augustus Astor, was? It seemed that Madeline and Courtney were just as bad as each other. They were both greedy and vain women who used their children to scheme! Augustus opened his mouth to speak, but he swallowed his words when he saw the bright smile on the girl¡¯s face. Forget it, she was just a child looking forward to having a father. When he saw that woman, he would teach her a lesson! Half an hour later, in the cafeteria of Astor Corporation. Many staff members secretly glanced at the three people, two children and one adult sitting in the center of the room. The news rapidly spread among the employees. ¡°Oh my gosh, I saw the CEO bring his son and daughter to the cafeteria for dinner!¡± ¡°Daughter? Doesn¡¯t the CEO only have a son?¡± ¡°But that little girl calls the CEO Daddy!¡± ¡­ Augustus felt a headache coming on as he watched the little girl calling him daddy. He seemed to feel that something was amiss. This little girl called him daddy in front of so many people, but he could not seem to find the heart to deny it. However, when he saw Aurora¡¯s innocent and bright smile, Augustus felt that he was overthinking. ¡°Daddy, eat this,¡± Aurora said. She placed the food on Augustus¡¯ plate and flashed him a sweet smile. This scene was too heartwarming. Augustus¡¯ expression softened and there was a rare gentleness in his eyes. He looked regretfully at the grim-faced Hugo, and the thought of wanting Aurora to really be his daughter actually rose in his heart. As the three of them were eating happily, they suddenly heard the sound of someone gritting their teeth behind them. ¡°Aurora West!¡± A voice sounded from behind them. The food on Aurora¡¯s fork fell onto the table with a clatter. She frantically hid in Augustus¡¯ arms. ¡°Daddy, save me!¡± she said. Madeline rushed over aggressively and tried to pull Aurora out. Augustus frowned when he saw her rough actions. He pushed Madeline¡¯s hand away and pulled Aurora into his embrace. ¡°Be gentle!¡± he rebuked. Madeline: ¡°¡­¡± Was she seeing things? Before she could react, Hugo, who was sitting with them, jumped down too. He hugged her thigh and shouted happily, ¡°Mommy, you¡¯re here too!¡± Augustus: ¡°¡­?¡± Madeline: ¡°¡­?¡± Something seemed to not be quite right? Madeline forced a smile at Augustus. ¡°Mr. Astor, it seems to be my daughter that you¡¯re holding in your arms?¡± she asked. With that, she carried Hugo over. ¡°Here, this is your son,¡± she said. Augustus silently let go of Aurora. Madeline was about to grab Aurora to settle scores, when Hugo suddenly rushed over again and hugged her thigh tightly. Madeline was about to take a step forward when she stumbled and fell forward uncontrollably! ¡°Ah!¡± She cried out. Madeline could only watch as the ground got closer and closer to her face. She screamed uncontrollably. However¡­ Her vision suddenly blurred, and Madeline felt herself being pulled into a hard embrace. At that moment, a cool and fragrant woody scent entered her nose. It was cold yet also elegant, just like Augustus¡¯ personality. Madeline¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why does this smell¡­ smell so familiar? ¡°Miss West, you¡¯ve already been in my arms for a minute. How much longer are you going to stay?¡± Augustus looked at the woman in his arms impatiently, a trace of mocking flashing across his eyes. As expected, she had already thrown herself into his arms. Her true colors were revealed so quickly! Madeline came back to her senses and hurriedly retreated out of his embrace. The two kids at the side covered their mouths in excitement. Seeing the two of them touching each other intimately, they fervently wished they could send them to the church immediately. Madeline gave a warning look at Aurora, who¡¯s eyes were full of an intent to gossip, and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Haha¡­ Sorry, I slipped,¡± she said. Augustus gracefully picked up a tissue to wipe his hands as a cold smirk appeared on his face. ¡°I hope that Miss West¡¯s feet won¡¯t slip in front of the children again. What a bad influence,¡± he said. What? Bad influence, my a*s! What did this scumbag mean?! Chapter 6 - The Lover Appears Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline rolled her eyes and gave a fake smile. ¡°Mr. Astor is so caring, even caring about whether other people¡¯s feet slip or not. It really must be hard work!¡± she said. After speaking, she ignored Augustus¡¯ unfriendly gaze and took two steps back to get away from this narcissistic man. However, in the next second, Augustus suddenly rose and grabbed her arm tightly! Madeline stumbled again and was forced to fall into this man¡¯s arms. In an instant, that crisp fragrance became stronger again. ¡°Theard that five years ago, Miss West was a famous social butterfly with excellent means. Her criteria was only that someone had money and not personality. She also got pregnant before marriage and didn¡¯t even know who the father of the child was. She disappeared for five years and came back, and now she has her eyes on me?¡± he said. The man¡¯s muscular arms were tightly wrapped around her waist. He leaned close to her ear and whispered softly, but the words he said were as harsh as knives. This brainless man! Madeline was instantly furious. His investigation was so thorough. Yet, how did he not find out how Courtney plotted against her five years ago, ruined her reputation, ruined her innocence, and tried to kill her?! This treacherous pair, one harming her and the other mocking her, they were such a perfect match! Madeline¡¯s face hardened. She struggled for a while, but it was as though she was trapped between two impenetrable walls. She could only smile sarcastically at Augustus. ¡°Mr. Astor, since you¡¯ve investigated so thoroughly, I¡¯m sure you know that Courtney is my half-sister?¡± she asked. Augustus raised his eyebrows slightly, as though in silent agreement. ¡®Madeline¡¯s red lips curled up, and a spark seemed to ignite in her charming peach blossom eyes. It was so hot that it seemed like it could burn everything. ¡°Then I¡¯l be frank, Of this husband and wife pair, one is vicious, while the other is arrogant and conceited. You¡¯ve really verified that saying: a dog and his b*tch will last forever!¡± She scomed. Augustus had never been looked down upon like this before. His face was livid as he glared at the woman before him. He gnashed his teeth. ¡°Madeline! West! I¡¯ve seen many women who want to get close to me through my son. You¡¯re the first one with such a sharp tongue!¡± he said. This scumbag was so sure that she was interested in him?! Where was his shame?! Madeline almost laughed out of anger. A second later, she wrapped both her arms around Augustus¡¯ neck and relentlessly applied pressure. The distance between the two of them instantly became the closest it could. As their breaths were interwoven with one another, the crisp fragrance of wood and the charming fragrance of roses intertwined, creating an extremely ambiguous atmosphere. Augustus¡¯ eyes quivered as his gaze unconsciously trailed down her face and to the woman¡¯s soft, rosy lips. ¡°Woah¡ª¡± The two kids at the side covered their mouths and exclaimed in elation. ¡°Mommy, Daddy, be more mindful! This is a public place!¡± Aurora reminded them excitedly out of consideration. Madeline snapped out of her daze, her ears instantly turning red. She swiftly released Augustus and gave him a hard push. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Astor! I won¡¯t touch Courtney¡¯s man. It¡¯s dirty!¡± Madeline said as she raised her chin. Then, she picked Aurora up, turned around and simply left. Her heart was still pounding as she recalled the way Augustus had swept his gaze over her just then. It was ambiguous, sexy, aggressive and full of male hormones. Stop! How could she have thoughts towards Courtney¡¯s man?! It must be because she hadn¡¯t had a man in a while! ¡°Aurora West! Don¡¯t randomly call people daddy again!¡± Madeline scolded her. Aurora giggled in Madeline¡¯s arms. ¡°Mom, are you being shy?¡± she asked. Shy my foot! Madeline glared at Aurora. ¡°If you dare to go near Hugo and his Dad again, I¡¯ll throw you into the river to feed the fish!¡± She warned her. ¡°Tm afraid you won¡¯t.¡± Aurora taunted her mother. Aurora shook her head and smiled slyly, pointing behind her. ¡°Mom, your son is here again,¡± she said. Madeline turned around and saw Hugo trying his best to follow her with his short legs. When he saw her looking over, he gave her a silly smile. Madeline¡¯s expression instantly darkened. ¡®The CEO of the Astor Corporation, Augustus Astor, had always been a legend in the city. ¡®There were only a few pictures and stories of him floating around. Legend had it that he was cold, handsome, noble and mysterious. The key point was that his net worth was hundreds of billions. Money for him came flowing in like water with a wave of his hand. Such a perfect man, even though he didn¡¯t appear often, was still extremely popular on the internet. The number of fans on Astor Corporation¡¯s official Twitter account exceeded a hundred million because of him. This morning, the usually calm internet was suddenly stirred up by a few pictures. ¡°F*ck, am I blind? Doesn¡¯t Mr. Astor only have a son?!¡± ¡°Shocking! Mr. Astor¡¯s lover has appeared and he has a daughter!¡± ¡°The heir is on good terms with this mother and daughter? What about his actual mother?¡± In the photo, a handsome man held a woman¡¯s waist tightly and the two looked at each other ¡®lovingly¡¯. ¡®The two children at the side were like a pair of little angels, covering their mouths and smiling sweetly. No matter from what angle one looked at it, they appeared to be like a sweet family. However, Hugo¡¯s mother was very high-profile online, and she certainly didn¡¯t look like this! Thud! ¡®The sound of the cup smashing against the wall was ear-piercing. The cup fell to the ground and shattered into pieces. Courtney¡¯s eyes were red as she stared at the woman in the photo and shook her head in disbelief. ¡°Impossible! Madeline and that baby girl were burned to death in that fire! How could they still be alive!¡± she shrieked. Could it be that the nurse from that time had saved them without telling her? Madeline definitely must have come back for revenge! Ring~ Courtney¡¯s gaze landed on the phone, and her heart instantly calmed down. She answered the call and choked out. ¡°Mom¡­¡± ¡°Courtney, what happened? Do you know the woman in the photo? Is that little girl really Augustus¡¯ daughter?¡± she asked. It was Augustus¡¯ mother, Mrs. Astor, who had called. Courtney usually worked hard to please her future mother-in-law, so the two of them had a very good relationship. She gritted her teeth and lowered her voice to complain pitifully. ¡°Mom, that woman¡­ is my sister, Madeline.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Mrs. Astor raised her voice in shock. ¡°Didn¡¯t she get pregnant before marriage and committed suicide?¡± she questioned. ¡°Tm not sure either. Maybe¡­ she just felt embarrassed and went into hiding,¡± Courtney replied. ¡°She still has the face to live? Such a shameful and disgraceful woman actually dared to get close to Augustus! And as for that little girl, she definitely is the b*stard child of some wild man!¡± Mrs. Astor scoffed. Hearing Mrs. Astor¡¯s scolding, Courtney¡¯s eyes flashed with self-satisfaction. However, she deliberately choked on her words again. ¡°Mother, Augustus¡­¡± Mrs. Astor comforted her immediately. ¡°Courtney, don¡¯t worry. I will never let that type of woman get close to Augustus! I will only acknowledge you as my daughter-in-law!¡± she said. ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± Courtney said. After hanging up the phone, Courtney stood up and gripped her phone tightly with a malicious expression. Madeline, you should have died long ago! Even that little b*stard Hugo, all of them deserved to die! ¡°Mtr¡­ Mr. Astor, how do you think we should handle this matter?¡± the PR manager asked. ¡®The manager nervously passed the tablet to Augustus. Augustus glanced at it and instantly frowned. Chapter 7 - Same Father but Different Mother? Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations After a few hours, the internet was already abuzz. Augustus¡¯ lover, his illegitimate daughter, Augustus¡¯ wife, and so on were all trending topics. There were all kinds of theories, and they had actually already caused the Astor Corporation¡¯s share price to fluctuate! ¡°Issue a statement. That woman and child have nothing to do with me.¡± Augustus ordered. He tossed the tablet to the manager and instructed him coldly. The PR manager was stunned for a moment before blurting out in shock. ¡°CEO, you¡¯re not going to admit it?¡± Augustus¡¯ gaze was as sharp as a knife. ¡°What do you want me to admit?¡± he asked. ¡°Noth¡­ Nothing¡­¡± The manager¡¯s forehead was filled with cold sweat as he tried to explain. He furrowed his brow and made up his mind to say something. ¡°But Mr. Astor, if it¡¯s the truth, it might affect your reputation. So¡­ so So you might as well just admit it! Augustus narrowed his eyes as a bone-chilling aura emanated from him. He questioned coldly, ¡°Are you certain that this woman is related to me?¡± ¡°Not really¡­ but this little girl does resemble you,¡± the manager replied. Augustus was slightly taken aback as his gaze landed on the screen. The little girl in the photo had a smile as pretty as a flower. Her sparkling peach blossom eyes resembled her mother very much, but when she stood next to Hugo, the two children did look quite similar. It was no wonder that there was such a commotion. Although Augustus did like Aurora, he was certain that she wasn¡¯t his daughter. He had never been interested in women. All these years, Courtney was the only person he had touched, and it was because of someone else¡¯s schemes. And Courtney only gave birth to one child, Hugo. If they looked alike, it was probably because Madeline and Courtney were half-sisters. Augustus frowned slightly and instructed coldly. ¡°Do as I say.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± the manager said. Half an hour later, Astor Corporation¡¯s official Twitter account posted a statement, clarifying that the photo was angled in a certain way, and the woman and child had nothing to do with Augustus Astor. There was no such thing as them being lovers or the existence of illegitimate children. ¡°Mr. Astor is so influential! He actually dispelled the rumors this quickly!¡± ¡°I knew it. Hugo¡¯s mother has been jumping around for so long and hasn¡¯t succeeded, let alone other random women.¡± ¡°The photo is just a matter of the angle? I think they¡¯re hugging quite tightly!¡± In the apartment. Aurora hugged her laptop and turned to look at Hugo, who was munching on a watermelon. ¡°Hey Hugo, your father has clarified the scandal with my mother!¡± she said. Hugo tilted his head and thought for a while. Then, he suddenly stood up and put his arms around Aurora¡¯s neck. He took out his phone and raised it in front of them. ¡°Give me a smile,¡± he said. Click¡ª Aurora¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked. Hugo was immersed in his work, his eyes filled with smugness. ¡°You want to clarify? Impossible!¡± he said to his phone. Aurora scooted closer to take a look and was simply amazed. This guy actually posted a photo of them together and personally verified that they were siblings. Wasn¡¯t this a slap in Augustus¡¯ face?! Sure enough, within a few seconds, the comments under Hugo¡¯s page were increasing rapidly. Astor Corporation¡¯s share price was starting to fluctuate again. This treacherous child! ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid of getting spanked?¡± Aurora asked. Hugo snorted softly. ¡°¡®m at Mommy¡¯s place. He can¡¯t discipline me,¡± he replied. Aurora pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. ¡°Let me remind you, she¡¯s my mother! The Internet says that your mother¡¯s name is Courtney. She¡¯s my mother¡¯s half-sister and used to bully my mother!¡± She snapped back. Disgust flashed across Hugo¡¯s big eyes. He frowned and retorted. ¡°She¡¯s not my mother!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you acknowledge her?¡± Aurora asked. Hugo pursed his lips tightly and clenched his little fists. His eyes were filled with anger, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. He knew that no one would believe him. They all thought that he merely didn¡¯t acknowledge Courtney! Beep! A text message came in. It was Courtney. Hugo took a look, and his eyes suddenly turned cold. He hooked his finger at Aurora. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that Courtney always bullied Mommy? Do you want revenge?¡± he said. ¡°Maddy! You¡¯re finally back! I missed you so much!¡± In the most luxurious nightclub in the city center, a fashionable and sexy girl ran towards Madeline and hugged her tightly. Madeline hugged her back with a faint smile in her eyes. This was her good friend, Cassandra Lewis, who was the second daughter of a famous scholarly family in the city. All the scholars in the Lewis family were poised and composed, except for the dazzling Cassandra. She was wearing a tight red sleeveless top and a pair of ripped black denim shorts. She looked like a hot chick. Madeline tugged at her top that revealed her waistline and shouted because of the deafening music, ¡°Why are we meeting here?¡± Cassandra had a mysterious expression on her face as she pulled Madeline quickly into a private room. ¡°I¡¯m giving you a big present today!¡± she said. Madeline was stunned still when she opened the door. Six to seven different types of men stood in a line with their hands behind their backs! ¡°Hello, ladies!¡± they said. No, she was not good. Madeline turned to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t go!¡± Cassandra held onto her tightly, her exquisite face filled with excitement. ¡°Come, pick one!¡± She urged her. Her gaze swept past a few men, and she pointed at one of them. ¡°Look at him. He has a tall figure, a clear temperament, and is full of youthfulness. He suits you!¡± She suggested. Madeline looked over hurriedly, wanting to strangle Cassandra¡¯s neck and shouted, ¡°Cassandra Lewis! Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m someone with a child!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Aurora knows everything!¡± Cassandra beckoned at the men, ¡°Come, come here, all of you. Let my friend choose!¡± ¡®A few men surrounded her, and the smell of several colognes assaulted her, making Madeline dizzy. ¡°Cassandra Lewis!¡± Madeline warned as she wrapped her arms tightly around Cassandra¡¯s neck and threatened her fiercely by her ear. ¡°If you don¡¯t let them leave now, I¡¯ll tell your brother!¡± The room finally regained peace. Madeline clutched her heart, still recovering from the shock. Cassandra glanced at her while scrolling through her phone. ¡°Look at you. You have the guts to reject my brother¡¯s confession, but you don¡¯t have the guts to play with a male escort?¡± she said. ¡°How is that the same?¡± Madeline rolled her eyes. ¡°If your brother knew that you compared him to a male escort, he definitely wouldn¡¯t let you off!¡± She countered. ¡°He¡¯s been holed up at home recently, so he doesn¡¯t have time to talk to me,¡± Cassandra replied. Cassandra¡¯s eyes suddenly widened in shock. ¡°Damn, Madeline! When did you hook up with Augustus Astor?¡± she asked. Madeline subconsciously looked at her phone and her face darkened. ¡°The little heir of the Astor Family personally announced that you¡¯re his mother and that Aurora is his sister? Isn¡¯t this background your house? Hugo and Aurora are at your house right now? Maddy, you¡¯re really capable!¡± She praised her. Madeline looked at the ceiling speechlessly and said in a somewhat despairing tone, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. This father and son must have a past feud with me! The son keeps pestering me, but the father insists that I¡¯m deliberately getting close to him!¡± She complained. Cassandra clicked her tongue and shook her head. ¡°Isn¡¯t that great? This is Augustus Astor! He¡¯s the golden bachelor that many women dream of! As long as you can get together with him, you will be able to achieve your dream of becoming rich overnight!¡± she said. ¡°Come on,¡± Madeline said. She glared at Cassandra. ¡°Do you know whose son Hugo is? Courtney¡¯s! I¡¯m going to have a thing with Courtney¡¯s man? I¡¯d find that too disgusting,¡± she said. ¡°Lol! That¡¯s true,¡± Cassandra said in response. Cassandra chuckled. She seemed to have thought of something, and her expression turned serious. ¡°Ultimately, Courtney almost killed you and Aurora. The two of you are sworn enemies. Have you thought about how to deal with her?¡± she asked.. Chapter 8 - Watertight Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline snorted, picked up the wine glass on the table, and drained it in one gulp. ¡°She¡¯s a mad dog. My life with Aurora is peaceful now, so I can¡¯t be bothered with her. But¡ª¡± she said. The cup was placed heavily on the table with a determined and ruthless aura. ¡°If she dares to look for trouble again, I won¡¯t rest until her reputation is ruined!¡± Madeline declared. ¡°You go girl!¡± Cassandra clapped excitedly at how cool she seemed just now. While the two were chatting, Madeline¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. ¡°Hello, are you Aurora West and Hugo Astor¡¯s guardian? Your children are suspected of possessing a large amount of drugs and intentional homicide. Please come to the police station immediately.¡± Drugs? Murder? Madeline¡¯s hand trembled, and her phone almost fell to the ground. How was that possible?! ¡°We¡¯ll talk about the details when you get to the police station.¡± The voice on the phone sounded a little impatient, as he hurriedly hung up. Noticing that she did not look well, Cassandra asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Something happened to Aurora.¡± Madeline¡¯s expression was somber. She picked up her bag and walked towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. Let¡¯s meet again when we next have time,¡± she said. ¡°Do you need me to go¡ª¡± Cassandra asked. Cassandra wanted to follow, but Madeline had already disappeared. She pondered for a moment before immediately sending a message. ¡°Brother! Bad news! Something happened to Maddy!¡± Outside the police station. ¡°Mr. Astor, I heard that your son is suspected of possessing drugs and intentional homicide. What do you think about this matter?¡± ¡°Mtr. Astor, your son was arrested together with your rumored illegitimate daughter. Is there something you are hiding?¡± ¡°The victim is still in the process of being rescued in the hospital. May I know how much compensation Astor Corporation will be giving?¡± ¡°Mr. Astor, please answer! Mr. Astor!¡± The tightly packed wall of reporters completely blocked the entrance of the police station, all of them desperately reaching out with their microphones. Augustus¡¯ face was grim as he entered the police station under the protection of his bodyguards. Behind him was Astor Corporation¡¯s top-level legal team. ¡°What on earth is going on?! How is it possible that Hugo would do such a thing?! I want to see my grandson now!¡± The one who spoke was Mrs. Astor, who had arrived earlier. Her well-maintained face was filled with anger as she hit the table and demanded coldly. ¡®The policeman sat unmoving on the chair as he said, ¡°Mrs. Astor, the suspect is currently being interrogated. No one is allowed to see him right now.¡± ¡°You!¡± she said incredulously. ¡°Mom, calm down.¡± Courtney comforted Mrs. Astor as she walked over and brought her a cup of hot water. ¡°Why would I want to drink water! I¡¯m not in the mood to drink water!¡± Mrs Astor was furious and pushed Courtney¡¯s hand away in frustration. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Courtney screamed. The hot water splashed onto the back of her hand. Courtney cried out with a pained expression. Seeing that her hand had turned red, the anger on Mrs. Astor¡¯s face faded slightly. ¡°Courtney, are you alright?¡± she asked. ¡°Tm alright.¡± Courtney covered her hands and smiled obediently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much and harm your health. I believe Hugo isn¡¯t such a child,¡± she said softly. Seeing how gentle she was, Mrs. Astor couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty when she thought of this morning¡¯s rumors. ¡°It has been tough on you too,¡± she said to Courtney. Courtney lowered her head to hide the smugness in her eyes. ¡®This was Augustus¡¯ mother. She had spent so much effort to please her, and now Mrs. Astor believed anything she said. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Augustus asked. He strode in with a solemn expression on his face. He exuded a cold aura, and the temperature in the police station seemed to drop several degrees. The legal team behind him quickly negotiated with the police. ¡°This is what happened; I wanted to send Hugo home today, but who would have known that as soon as I arrived at the cafe, I saw the police arrest Hugo and that little girl. They said¡­ they said that they had drugs on them and that they had pushed someone down the stairs¡­¡± Courtney explained. She stepped forward as she explained to Augustus, her eyes red. ¡°Little girl?!¡± Mrs. Astor widened her eyes and suddenly turned to look at Courtney. ¡°What little girl?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s the child in the photo from this morning. She¡¯s my older sister, Madeline¡¯s, child.¡± Courtney bit her lip as if it was difficult for her to continue talking. ¡°Hugo has always been sensible. I believe he wouldn¡¯t do such a thing. On the other hand, my sister has always been unhappy with me. She probably used her child to deal with me¡­¡± ¡°Courtney!¡± Augustus bellowed, stopping Courtney¡¯s slander. ¡°Don¡¯t make wild guesses before we get to the bottom of this!¡± Courtney closed her mouth nervously, but her hands were tightly clenched into fists. ¡°Why are you shouting at her!¡± Mrs. Astor sneered. The anger that had just subsided suddenly exploded. ¡°I knew it was impossible for Hugo to do such a thing. He must have been framed by that b*tch!¡± Mrs. Astor turned her head and pointed at him, scolding unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you! Back then, Madeline¡¯s scandal was known by everyone! Her private life was messy, she was immoral and got pregnant before marriage, and she even faked her death! How could you get together with such a vain and scheming woman?!¡± Augustus frowned slightly at Mrs. Astor¡¯s sharp words. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, you don¡¯t believe me?¡± Mrs. Astor gritted her teeth in extreme disdain, child!¡± e seen many women like her. They use unscrupulous tactics in order to marry into a wealthy family! What kind of good child can a woman with such character teach? Hugo must have been framed by that woman¡¯s ¡°Mother.¡± Augustus¡¯ voice was cold as he glanced deeply at Mrs. Astor. ¡°The matter hasn¡¯t been investigated clearly yet. Don¡¯t jump to conclusions,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯re still speaking up for her?!¡± Mrs. Astor fiercely glared at him. ¡°When that vixen arrives, I want to see how capable she is!¡± she shouted. Augustus¡¯ expression was unreadable as he fell silent. Courtney, who was standing at the side, curled her lips imperceptibly, and a sinister look flashed past her eyes. She had been tolerating Hugo for a long time now. She could use this opportunity to get rid of these two b*stards and Madeline, that sI*t! The reporters outside were all called by her. This time, Hugo¡¯s reputation would definitely be ruined! The next step would be for her to give birth to a legitimate heir for Astor Corporation. Creak¡ª The door of the police station was pushed open again. Madeline walked hurriedly towards the police officer with a solemn expression. But before she could reach him, Mrs. Astor stopped her. ¡°Are you Madeline?¡± Mrs. Astor questioned angrily with a cold expression. Madeline looked at her in confusion. ¡°You are¡­?¡± she asked. ¡°Tch! Why are you pretending?!¡± Mrs. Astor glared at her in disdain. ¡°Since you wanted to marry into the Astor Family, wouldn¡¯t you already know who I was? Let me tell you, I will never allow a shameless vixen like you to step into the Astor Family!¡± Madeline glanced at Augustus, who was standing next to her, then at the arrogant and elegant, well-dressed woman before her, and finally understood what was going on. She really had to take her hats off to them. Were all the members of the Astor Family crazy? ¡°Mrs. Astor, I¡¯m not interested in your Astor Family. Can you and your family please stop yapping in front of me,¡± she said. Yapping? Augustus narrowed his eyes at Madeline. Did this woman think he was a dog? Chapter 9 - Connotations Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡°You!¡± Mrs. Astor also understood the meaning behind her words. Her anger soared and she raised her voice. ¡°Indeed, a crooked stick will have a crooked shadow. The older one is ill-mannered, that¡¯s why she raised such an uneducated little b*stard and dragged my grandson into such a mess!¡± ¡°Mrs. Astor, watch your words!¡± Madeline warned her. Her face instantly turned cold. She respected the other party as an elder, but that didn¡¯t mean she had to endure others insulting her daughter. ¡°The truth hasn¡¯t been investigated yet, but Mrs. Astor is already slandering me and my daughter here. It seems like the Astor Family¡¯s upbringing isn¡¯t that great either!¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Mrs. Astor was so angry that her face turned ashen. She suddenly raised her arm, meaning to fiercely slap Madeline. The motion of Mrs. Astor¡¯s palm created a sharp wind that approached her. Madeline was caught off guard, and before she could react, her arm was suddenly pulled back. She staggered a few steps and fell into an embrace. The crisp, woody fragrance spread to the tip of her nose. Unlike the cool nature of the scent, this embrace was exceptionally warm, calming Madeline¡¯s anxious heart. Courtney¡¯s expression darkened when she saw Augustus pulling Madeline into his arms. She even saw Augustus in a brief trance just then! He indeed acted differently towards Madeline! She bit her lip and pulled Madeline out of his embrace. She complained pitifully. ¡°Madeline! How could you do this?! The two children are still being interrogated. How could you still be in the mood to seduce Augustus?!¡± Madeline sneered. ¡°Which eye of yours saw me seducing him?¡± ¡°Madeline,¡± Courtney wiped the corners of her eyes, looking miserable, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like me. If you¡¯re unhappy, come at me instead. But don¡¯t use the children just to take revenge on me. They¡¯re still young. They can¡¯t have their lives ruined here,¡± she said in a pitiful manner. Good heavens. Courtney had just said that she wanted to marry into a wealthy family. Now, she directly accused her of framing the young heir of the Astor Family. But what was she, Madeline, plotting after? Her daughter was also currently sitting in the interrogation room! ¡°As the saying goes, even a vicious tiger won¡¯t hurt its cubs. You¡¯re also a mother, so why would you say such things?¡± Madeline mocked, looking at Courtney as if she was an idiot. Courtney¡¯s face stiffened, and she felt guilty for a moment. ¡°Mr. Astor, the police have agreed to let us meet the Young Sir,¡± a lawyer walked over and said in a low voice, breaking the tension between the two. Madeline involuntarily took two steps forward. ¡°What about Aurora?¡± she asked. ¡®The lawyer glanced at Augustus, waiting for him to speak. Augustus gazed at Madeline, seemingly deep in thought. Madeline suppressed the anxiety in her heart and gazed at Augustus with determination. She couldn¡¯t help but plead with him. ¡°Mr. Astor, you have met Aurora. She isn¡¯t such a child. There must be a misunderstanding.¡± Augustus¡¯ heart fluttered slightly. This woman had always been sharp-tongued and arrogant in front of him, but now, she had lowered her head and had a sincere attitude. Although she did not cry, the anxiety and worry in her eyes were so strong that they seemed to be real. In comparison, even though Courtney¡¯s eyes were red, there wasn¡¯t the slightest trace of worry in her eyes. It was obvious who was better. In terms of exploitation, Courtney was more like a person who would do such a thing. ¡°Let¡¯s meet them together.¡± Augustus agreed, nodding slightly and leaving first. Madeline heaved a sigh of relief and hastily followed. Courtney¡¯s nails almost sank into her palms. She gritted her teeth and hated that she couldn¡¯t kill Madeline right now. The moment she entered Aurora¡¯s interrogation room, the tears that Madeline had been holding back suddenly fell. ¡°Mommy!¡± Aurora sat on the chair with a dusty face. Her hands were handcuffed; her small and slender wrists tightly clasped by the cold, silver handcuffs. Madeline¡¯s heart ached at the sight. ¡°Aurora!¡± Madeline said in relief as she ran over and hugged her daughter. Aurora¡¯s eyes were also red, but she broke into a big smile in order to comfort Madeline. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m fine!¡± She reassured her. ¡°Good girl,¡± Madeline said as she patted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Mom will get you out of here immediately.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Aurora nodded heavily. Then, she put on a bitter face as she complained. ¡°But the surveillance cameras in the cafe were destroyed. Otherwise, it would prove Hugo¡¯s and my innocence.¡± ¡°What on Earth is going on?¡± ¡°Hugo said that Courtney asked him out, so the two of us arrived at the cafe. However, a woman told us that Courtney was somewhere else and asked us to follow her. Then, she fell down the stairs and the police came.¡± she explained. Aurora narrated everything clearly. She leaned closer to Madeline and whispered, ¡°Mom, Hugo said that Courtney must have framed us. I believe now that Courtney really isn¡¯t his mother.¡± Madeline¡¯s expression turned cold. She had already guessed that this matter had something to do with Courtney, and now she had basically confirmed that it was Courtney¡¯s doing! Since Courtney was courting death, then she, Madeline, would definitely not let her off! ¡°Ah¡ª Get lost!¡± Hugo¡¯s painful scream suddenly came from the interrogation room. For some unknown reason, Madeline felt as if her heart had been brutally yanked by a pair of hands. It was so painful that her eyes stung. She didn¡¯t have time to think. She carried Aurora and ran towards the interrogation room. It was a mess inside. The small interrogation room was filled with people. Hugo was huddled in a corner, tearing his hair and screaming. He looked irritable and uneasy. Both the table and chair had been thrown to the ground. ¡°Augustus, what should we do? Hugo is acting up again!¡± Courtney covered her mouth as she fell into Augustus¡¯ arms. However, Augustus flung her away in the next second. His expression was filled with disgust and hatred. ¡°Shut up!¡± He ordered. ¡°Mr. Astor, what mental illness does your son have? In his current state, it is very likely that he will do something to harm others.¡± the police captain questioned with a serious expression on his face, already beginning to believe the charge of intentional murder. Augustus pursed his lips tightly as he gazed at Hugo with a pained expression. ¡°Let me try. I¡¯ve studied child psychology before!¡± Madeline offered. But as she walked past Augustus, he grabbed her arm. ¡°You¡¯ll be injured,¡± he said. ¡°won¡¯t.¡± Madeline smiled reassuringly at Augustus. She pushed his hand away and walked carefully towards Hugo. ¡°Hugo, it¡¯s me,¡± Madeline said gently. Hugo, who was in the corner, was like a trapped beast. His small body was curled up into a ball, looking very pitiful. Courtney looked at Madeline approaching Hugo with a flash of disdain in her eyes. ¡®This little b*stard had a strange illness since he was young. He would go crazy whenever he was provoked. When he was delirious, he could attack anyone. Even Augustus¡¯ hand had been bitten until it was bleeding, several times. Madeline really overestimated herself. But that was good too. It would be best if this little b*stard went crazy and bit Madeline to death! ¡®The scene of this son murdering his mother would truly be a good show. Courtney¡¯s eyes unconsciously revealed a smile, but in the next second, her face froze! Hugo seemed to have heard Madeline¡¯s voice. He raised his head in confusion and looked at her with red eyes. Madeline approached him step by step with a gentle smile. Then, in one go, she pulled him into her embrace! A fragrant and warm scent wafted into his nose, and the embrace was extremely gentle and warm. Hugo closed his eyes. This was how the mother in his dreams looked like. He sobbed and called softly, ¡°Mommy¡­¡± Everyone was shocked! Chapter 10 - A Huge Grievance Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Courtney looked at the two people hugging each other, her eyes filled with hatred and malice. This damned little b*stard! She pretended to be excited and walked forward. She extended her hand to Hugo. ¡°Hugo, come to Mommy,¡± she said. Hugo trembled when he heard her voice. He flung her hand away fiercely. ¡°You¡¯re not my mother!¡± he shouted. ¡°Hugo¡­ I gave birth to you after nine months of pregnancy. How could you¡­ how could you acknowledge a woman with such bad intentions as your mother?!¡± Courtney called out. Courtney seemed to have suffered a great grievance. She scolded Madeline while sobbing. ¡°Madeline, I know you hate me. But Hugo is my child. You can¡¯t snatch him away.¡± Madeline¡¯s lips twitched. She really didn¡¯t want to see her poor acting skills. She really couldn¡¯t understand. Was Courtney really Hugo¡¯s biological mother? Why was Hugo so against her, and why didn¡¯t Courtney care about him at all? She saw through Courtney¡¯s act at a glance, but Mrs. Astor hugged Courtney in heartache. ¡°Courtney, don¡¯t cry. You¡¯ve given birth to a child for our Astor family, and you¡¯re the only daughter-in-law I acknowledge! Hugo is your son, and no one can snatch him away!¡± she said and declared. Madeline rolled her eyes. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch this mother and daughter-in-law relationship play out. ¡°Mr. Astor, the truth hasn¡¯t been verified yet. Can we bail the two kids out first?¡± she asked. Augustus glanced at Madeline in surprise, before he nodded and instructed the lawyer. ¡°Go and sign the bail¡­¡± ¡°No way!¡± Mrs. Astor interrupted with a scowl. ¡°Hugo was framed by this mother and daughter pair! He can go back, but this woman and her daughter must stay in the police station for investigation!¡± she stated. ¡°Mrs. Astor!¡± Madeline stood up, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°What evidence do you have to prove that we framed Hugo Astor? Don¡¯t forget that my daughter is also a victim!¡± She rebutted. Hugo clenched his fists and stood up. He pointed at Courtney and shouted, ¡°Clearly it was her who framed us!¡± ¡°My good grandson, you were deceived by this woman!¡± Mrs. Astor persuaded Hugo when she saw that he was defending Madeline, and became even more certain of her guess. She resolutely informed him. ¡°In any case, I won¡¯t let those women with ulterior motives bewitch you ever again! They definitely can¡¯t leave the police station!¡± Madeline¡¯s eyes lit up with fury as she spun around to face Augustus. She couldn¡¯t contain her anger and asked, ¡°Mr. Astor, are there still reasonable people in your family?¡± Augustus frowned and was about to speak, when a commotion started outside. ¡°Chief? Why are you here?¡± ¡°Theard you arrested a kid? Let me see what happened!¡± As those words were being spoken, the door of the interrogation room was pushed open. A few figures appeared outside the door, and the first to enter was a man with a refined and elegant aura. This man was extremely good-looking. He had a gentle, cold expression and a scholarly, refined temperament, as if he had walked straight out of a painting. ¡°Uncle Lewis!¡± Aurora called out. Her eyes lit up as she ran towards the man and jumped into his arms. ¡°You naughty girl, slow down,¡± Favian Lewis said as he caught Aurora and stroked her nose lovingly. He looked down and saw the handcuffs on her hands. His eyes narrowed. The division chief noticed his gaze and waved his hand. ¡°Unlock the handcuffs! Such a young child, why is she wearing handcuffs?!¡± he asked. Aurora wrapped her arms around Favian¡¯s neck and pouted as she said, ¡°Uncle Lewis, do you still want to be my father? Mom and I haven¡¯t seen you in so long.¡± ¡°I¡¯s my fault, Didn¡¯t I rush here to see you as soon as I heard that you ¡­¡± Favian¡¯s smile was warm and gentle. He paused for a moment before his gentle gaze landed on Madeline, ¡°and your mom were in trouble?¡± In just a few sentences, Favian had revealed his feelings for Madeline. Mrs. Astor¡¯s expression was somewhat ugly. If the Astor Family was the wealthiest family in the capital, then the Lewis Family was the top scholarly family in the city. Although the Lewis family was not as powerful as the Astor family, they had a good reputation in the capital. The heir, Favian Lewis, was a well-known figure in the capital and had many dealings with politicians. If Favian had feelings for Madeline, she wouldn¡¯t have tried so hard to get together with Augustus. So where did it all go wrong? On the other hand, Courtney was unable to control the ugly expression on her face, as her heart was almost swallowed by jealousy. How could this be?! How did Madeline know Favian? How could this b*tch be so lucky? Even Favian Lewis had fallen for her! She hated it so much that she wished Madeline would die right now! ¡°Maddy, the lawyer is done. The car is waiting outside. Let¡¯s go.¡± Favian smiled at Madeline warmly. Before Madeline could speak, Augustus interjected. ¡°Wait.¡± Favian glanced at Augustus. Although his aura was elegant, his aura wasn¡¯t inferior to Augustus¡¯. Their eyes met and they could see the hostility in each other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Mrr, Astor, is there anything else?¡± Favian¡¯s smile remained unchanged. Augustus¡¯ eyes landed on Madeline, who had retracted her claws and teeth the moment Favian had appeared. Then, his gaze landed on Aurora, who was hugging Favian¡¯s neck tightly. A strange feeling suddenly arose in his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little angry. ¡°Madeline, are you going to leave just like that?¡± Augustus asked.. Chapter 11 - Eyes Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline looked at him coldly. There was still a hint of anger in her eyes as she repeated Favian¡¯s words. ¡°Mr. Astor, is there anything else?¡± Augustus¡¯ face was grim. ¡°The police station is surrounded by reporters, leaving before the investigation results are out will affect the Astor Corporation greatly.¡± Madeline sneered. ¡°What does Astor Corporation have to do with us?¡± Augustus paused as his gaze landed on Aurora. His voice deepened as he said, ¡°From the reporters¡¯ point of view, Aurora is my illegitimate daughter.¡± Seeing that Madeline had nothing to say, Augustus¡¯ expression softened. ¡°We are now in the same boat ¡°Mr. Astor,¡± Aurora called as she suddenly jumped out of Favian¡¯s arms and tugged at Augustus¡¯ shirt to ask, ¡°Can I have a computer? Ten minutes will do.¡± Mr. Astor? Augustus¡¯ eyes darkened. However, his heart moved when he saw how confident Aurora was. Although he didn¡¯t know what she was up to, he still exchanged glances with the lawyer in agreement. ¡®The lawyer quickly handed over his computer. Madeline¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw what her daughter looked like. ¡°Aurora¡­¡± she started speaking. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s okay. I want to prove my innocence. Aurora reassured her. She smiled at Madeline as if she was comforting her. Her innocent look made Madeline both heartbroken and relieved, but it also made her hate Courtney even more. Aurora sat on the ground with the laptop in her arms. She rolled up her sleeves and immediately became focused. She was typing furiously on the computer screen, her large eyes staring at the screen, unblinking. Such a small child using a computer; it seemed more like she was playing a game. However, for some reason, Courtney suddenly had a bad premonition. She took a step forward and a reproachful smile appeared on her face. ¡°Now is not the time for children to play games. Stop fooling around and give me the computer,¡± she said. Madeline stepped forward and stopped her coldly, ¡°Get lost.¡± Courtney choked, her heart filled with resentment, but she maintained a sad look. ¡°Madeline, it¡¯s fine if you treat me like this, but you can¡¯t let the child be willful and reckless. This is the police station, not your house. How can you let her play games without any scruples¡­¡± she accused. Madeline smiled mockingly. Her eyes were clear and sharp, as if she could see through the dirty thoughts in Courtney¡¯s heart. ¡°Why, are you guilty?¡± Courtney forced a smile and said, ¡°You, what are you saying? I¡¯m just worried¡­¡± she replied. ¡°That¡¯s enough. If you don¡¯t want to be here, get lost and go home.¡± Augustus interrupted her. Courtney was ashamed to have been criticized in public. However, she didn¡¯t dare say anything in front of Augustus¡¯ grim and stern face. She could only lower her head and remain silent. Madeline felt a strange feeling briefly emerge when she saw Augustus¡¯ attitude. This family of three¡­ didn¡¯t seem to be very harmonious? Augustus stared deeply at the computer screen, his eyes continuously flashing with astonishment. Aurora suddenly stopped typing. She frowned and stared at the screen for a long time. Augustus, who was standing behind her, had already been watching her for a while. He suddenly grabbed the laptop and continued her work. As Aurora stared intently at the screen, her eyes became brighter and brighter. A moment later. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Augustus¡¯ deep voice echoed in the heavy atmosphere of the interrogation room, strangely making its listeners feel uneasy. However, Aurora¡¯s big eyes were full of admiration. ¡°Mr. Astor, you¡¯re so amazing!¡± She praised him. ¡®The coldness in Augustus¡¯ eyes dissipated, and his lips curled into a faint smile. On the computer screen, several video clips from different angles of the cafe were put together. It could be clearly seen that the two children were obediently sitting at the table and waiting for someone. However, a woman walked in and said something. Aurora and Hugo looked at each other before following her. However, when she reached the stairs, the woman suddenly turned around and with a flash, suddenly fell down to the bottom of the stairs. And in the next moment, the police appeared. ¡°Look.¡± Aurora pointed out as she enlarged the image of the woman before she fell. Her crisp and sweet voice sounded clear and logical. ¡°We clearly didn¡¯t touch this woman!¡± Courtney¡¯s face turned pale when she finished watching the video. At this time, she panicked and blurted out. ¡°Then you guys possessing d¡­¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she was frightened by Augustus¡¯ cold gaze. ¡°We didn¡¯t!¡± Aurora raised her chin and switched to a different angle. ¡°You can clearly see that it was this woman who stuffed the powder into our pockets when she fell!¡± she said. The evidence was irrefutable. No matter how much Courtney schemed, she did not expect Aurora to organize surveillance cameras around the cafe and use them to prove her innocence! If she was given another day, no, half a day, she could have destroyed all those surveillance cameras! She lowered her head to cover her twisted facial expression. Aurora raised her fair little face and smiled obediently at the police officer, saying, ¡°Sir, the footage of all the surveillance cameras in the cafe have been deleted. I think you guys need to investigate this since it¡¯s so coincidental.¡± The police officer looked at the little girl smiling at him, and his heart melted quickly. He nodded and smiled kindly. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t worry. We will give you a satisfactory explanation,¡± he said. Favian picked Aurora up and smiled politely at Augustus. ¡°Mr. Astor, can we leave now?¡± he asked. ¡°..¡± Augustus¡¯ face darkened as he watched this scene. Aurora leaned on Favian¡¯s shoulder and waved in farewell with a bright smile. ¡°Goodbye, Mr. Astor!¡± she said. After the reporters were dismissed, the three of them walked out of the police station and got ina car. Madeline took Aurora over from Favian¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Her eyes were filled with sincerity. Favian could not help but sigh when he saw how polite she was. There was a tinge of bitterness in his gentle eyes. ¡°Maddy, you don¡¯t have to thank me. On the contrary, I¡¯ll be very happy if you think of me the moment you encounter any problems,¡± he replied. Madeline lowered her eyes and fell silent. ¡°Maddy, I know you have your concerns, but I hope that you can let me help you. Don¡¯t feel burdened by my feelings, because I took the initiative, and I¡¯m willing. I don¡¯t want anything in return. As long as I can stay by your side and take care of you, I¡¯m satisfied,¡± he said. The man¡¯s affectionate confession made Madeline feel sad. She pursed her lips and sighed. ¡°Favian, you are the heir of the Lewis family and an expert that the country places importance in. You have a bright future and a wealthy family. As for me, I am just a single mother without parents to back me up. The distance between us is like a chasm. I can¡¯t¡­¡± she replied. Favian¡¯s heart sank and he hurriedly interrupted her. ¡°But Maddy, you know that my family doesn¡¯t mind this. I don¡¯t rely on my family either. In my heart, you are an outstanding and strong woman. I like you very much.¡± Chapter 12 - The Mastermind Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡®When he was overseas, he did not harbor any intentions towards this single mother who had a child with her. However, by chance, they became partners. During their interactions, this woman¡¯s intelligence, tenacity, courage, and the mysterious air about her attracted him bit by bit, causing him to fall in love with her. Madeline looked down and shook her head bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to think about a relationship right now.¡± It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t considered Favian. This man was gentle and strong, and someone that she could rely on. However, his family indeed minded the difference between them. ¡°I¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll always be waiting for you.¡± The gentle but stable man was like the ocean, and his promises were as sincere and steadfast as a mountain. Seeing that Madeline still wanted to say something, he quickly changed the topic. ¡°Right, what do you think about today¡¯s matter?¡± Madeline swallowed her words and thought about what happened today. Her expression turned cold. ¡°I already know who the mastermind is. She really shouldn¡¯t have framed Aurora. I won¡¯t let her off this time.¡± In the evening, at the Astor mansion. Bam! Bam! Bam! Augustus pounded on the door with his fists, looking furious. ¡°Hugo Astor, come out now!¡± Hugo¡¯s stubborn and cold voice sounded from within the room. ¡°I want to go to Mommy¡¯s house!¡± Mrs. Astor, who stood beside Augustus, was feeling both anxious and angry. ¡°My good grandson, your mother is at our house. Where do you want to go?!¡± Bam! There was another loud bang from behind the door, as though something had hit it. Hugo started screaming again, ¡°Courtney is not my mother! I want Madeline to be my mother!¡± Mrs. Astor was worried that something would happen to her precious grandson again, and she paced around anxiously. When she saw Courtney standing obediently by the side with her head lowered, she couldn¡¯t help but lose her temper, ¡°What kind of mother are you? What did you do to make my grandson dislike you so much and want to acknowledge another woman as his mother?¡± Courtney raised her head, and large teardrops fell. Her eyes were red as she said aggrievedly, ¡°Mom, Hugo was fine before, but ever since he met my sister¡­¡± Mrs. Astor was extremely revolted with Madeline, but when she saw Courtney crying aggrievedly, she was also a little irritated. ¡°That¡¯s enough! I really don¡¯t know how the West Family brought the two of you up! One is vicious and the other is useless!¡± Courtney stood at the side with her head lowered. When she heard this, a trace of malice and hatred flashed past her eyes. She had tried so hard to please this heartless old woman, but she was still being reprimanded. It was all because of this damned little b*stard! She must find a chance to get rid of him! Bam! Bam! Bam! A few more bangs suddenly sounded in the room, one after another, making one¡¯s heart tighten. Mrs. Astor was afraid that Hugo¡¯s illness had relapsed and he was knocking his head against the wall, so she immediately tugged at Augustus¡¯ sleeve. ¡°Quick, think of something!¡± Augustus frowned. The sound of Hugo knocking his head against the wall was like a hammer striking his heart, making it throb painfully. Suddenly, there was silence in the room. Mrs. Astor¡¯s eyes widened as she anxiously knocked on the door. ¡°Hugo? Hugo? Answer Grandma!¡± Augustus¡¯s heart tightened. He pushed Mrs. Astor away and kicked the door hard. ¡°Hugo! Come out now! I¡¯ll take you to Madeline¡¯s house!¡± The door shook violently, but it remained tightly shut. Augustus was about to kick it again when the door opened from the inside. Hugo was fully dressed, and he wasn¡¯t injured at all. His calm and dark eyes were filled with smugness from his success. ¡°Let¡¯s go and find my mother!¡± Augustus was speechless. Who did Hugo learn this from? Watching the father and son leave, Courtney gritted her teeth, her nails almost sinking into her flesh. After Mrs. Astor also left, she hid in her room and took out her phone to make a call. ¡°Mother¡­¡± Courtney started sobbing. Courtney¡¯s biological mother, Yvette Piers, hurriedly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did that old woman and little b*stard make things difficult for you again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Madeline! Madeline is back!¡± Yvette was shocked. ¡°What?! Didn¡¯t she die in that fire?!¡± ¡°Maybe something happened in the process.¡± Courtney¡¯s lips were bleeding because she was too angry and had bitten her lips too hard, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered about it. A crazed expression appeared on her face, ¡°Mom! I want Madeline and Hugo to die! They must die!¡± Thinking of how Hugo somehow acknowledged Madeline as his mother, Courtney felt a wave of panic in her heart. If Augustus knew what she had done, she would definitely die! ¡°What happened?¡± Courtney held back her anger and recounted the events that day to her mother. Yvette pondered for a moment, and her sharp voice was filled with viciousness. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mother will help you get rid of those two! Madeline¡¯s mother couldn¡¯t defeat me, and she can also forget about defeating you!¡± Courtney¡¯s heart settled. ¡°There¡¯s also Favian Lewis! Why should Madeline be able to impress the heir of the Lewis family? It would be best if Madeline¡¯s reputation was tarnished!¡± ¡°Oh right, it will be Favian¡¯s mother¡¯s birthday in a few days. She will definitely send an invitation to your mother-in-law. At that time, you can¡­¡± Yvette¡¯s voice gradually quietened and Courtney¡¯s expression relaxed as the corners of her eyes and eyebrows were filled with a viciousness! Bang! Bang! Bang! Three thunderous knocks on the door made Madeline, who was walking out of the kitchen with a plate in her hand, frown. Who was this? How rude! ¡°Coming!¡± Madeline was shocked when she opened the door. Outside the door, an expressionless Augustus was holding Hugo. The father and son were clearly still in a cold war, and their expressions were stiffer than ever. But when Hugo saw the door open, he raised his head and grinned at Madeline. ¡°Mommy!¡± Madeline: ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t allow them to enter. Instead, she leaned against the door frame and raised her eyebrows. ¡°President Astor, what are you¡­¡± Augustus¡¯ handsome face was cold as he threw Hugo into her arms. ¡°He¡¯s yours.¡± Madeline instinctively caught Hugo, and in the next second, Augustus had already slid into the house from the side. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Hugo hurriedly wrapped his arms around Madeline¡¯s neck, blinked his big eyes, and acted cute. ¡°Mommy, I missed you so much!¡± Madeline¡¯s lips twitched as she looked away speechlessly. ¡°I¡¯m not your mother!¡± However, she had no choice but to carry Hugo, who refused to let go of her, into the house. Augustus scanned the house with his handsome eyes and took in the entire structure. Although this apartment wasn¡¯t big, it was complete. The decor was very warm and the place was clean. There were also dozens of photos hanging on the wall; all of them were of Aurora and Madeline smiling at the camera. The mother and daughter pair were smiling brightly, and it made those who saw these photos feel happy. Augustus studied the photos and his expression softened unconsciously. Hugo asked, ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Aurora?¡± ¡°She¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha, Uncle Favian, you¡¯re so stupid! I¡¯ve already passed this stage!¡± ¡°Tm giving in to you!¡± ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re twisting logic!¡± Two laughs, one from an adult and one from a child, came from the bedroom. Aurora¡¯s laughter was especially arrogant. Before Madeline could answer, Hugo had already run over. ¡°Aurora West! I¡¯m here!¡± Augustus¡¯ expression fell and his gaze chilled. ¡°Favian Lewis is still here?¡± Chapter 13 - The Cat Throwing a Tantrum Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Why did his tone sound so strange?! It sounded like a husband questioning his unfaithful wife! Bah! What was she thinking?! Madeline swept away all the distracting thoughts in her mind. She lifted her chin and gestured to the dining table. ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten yet Mr. Astor. Anyways, it¡¯s also not good for you to suddenly visit, right?¡± What she meant was that he was interrupting their meal, and that he and his son should leave now. Augustus¡¯ gaze landed on the dining table. There were four home-cooked dishes on the table. They looked nice and¡­ rather appetizing. He nodded expressionlessly. ¡°What a coincidence, Hugo and I haven¡¯t eaten as well.¡± ¡°..¡± Madeline looked at him with a smile that wasn¡¯t quite there. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mr. Astor to not only be capable, but also have an extraordinarily thick skin.¡± Augustus raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you praising me?¡± Madeline froze and almost had a heart attack. He saw that her watery eyes were glaring at him, but there was no strong repulsion in her eyes. She looked like a cat without claws that was throwing a tantrum. Augustus smiled unconsciously as he watched her. This was the scene that Favian saw when he came out of the bedroom. The atmosphere between the two made him feel a little uncomfortable. He walked over and said calmly, ¡°President Astor, isn¡¯t it a little inappropriate for you to come to the residence of a single woman so late at night?¡± The smile on Augustus¡¯ face vanished as he glanced at Favian coldly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here too?¡± Favian¡¯s smile remained unchanged. ¡°I¡¯m wooing Maddy, so it¡¯s fine that I¡¯m here. But President Astor is a married man. What would Mrs. Astor think?¡± Augustus¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°There¡¯s no Mrs. Ast¡­¡± ¡°Mom! Something¡¯s burning!¡± Aurora suddenly bounced out of the room. ¡°Oh no! My soup!¡± Madeline slapped her forehead and rushed to the kitchen to save her soup. Augustus and Favian looked at each other and saw the hostility in each other¡¯s eyes. No matter how unwilling Madeline was, on the account that Hugo was still a child, she still allowed the Astors to stay. ¡°Oh right.¡± While they were eating, Favian suddenly smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already settled Aurora¡¯s kindergarten. It¡¯s an experimental kindergarten in the city that belongs to my family¡­¡± Augustus picked up a piece of fish and smiled casually. ¡°Aurora is going to kindergarten? How about going to the Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten with Hugo?¡± Aurora bit her chopsticks as her sly eyes darted between Augustus and Favian. The smile on Favian¡¯s face remained unchanged, but his gaze was cold. ¡°Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten is too luxurious. It won¡¯t be good for a child¡¯s mental growth.¡± Augustus narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°Given Aurora¡¯s intelligence and talent, it would be a waste of time for her to stay in an ordinary kindergarten. The Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten focuses on teaching based on one¡¯s talent and holistic development. It is perfect for a genius like Aurora.¡± No matter how mild tempered Favian was, he was still frustrated by Augustus¡¯ words. An ordinary kindergarten? The experimental kindergarten was the best public school in the city. There were very few enrollment slots every year, and they only accepted children who were outstanding in a particular aspect. Parents can try all they can, but they still might not be able to get a placement for their child there. It wasn¡¯t easy to get Aurora to transfer into the kindergarten, yet Augustus had simply described it as an ordinary kindergarten? Their gazes met again, and there seemed to be a sizzling electric current in the air. At this moment, Hugo suddenly put his arm around Aurora¡¯s shoulder. His fair and tender little face was full of seriousness and excitement. ¡°Aurora, come to the same kindergarten as me. We can learn equestrian skills, archery, musical instruments, painting, foreign languages¡­ and¡­¡± Hugo glanced at Favian and laughed slyly. ¡°Uncle Favian¡¯s nephew, Ron Lewis, is in the same class as me!¡± Favian was speechless. Why did it feel like a child had sabotaged him? His little nephew¡¯s education had been planned by his sister-in-law, and he was too lazy to interfere. However, Aurora was very intelligent and had no friends around her, so she could play with children her age in the experimental kindergarten. However, in Hugo¡¯s words, it had become a case of him asking his own nephew to attend the Astor family¡¯s kindergarten and getting Aurora to attend the ¡®ordinary¡¯ kindergarten instead! ¡®Why was this father and son pair so infuriating? Madeline interrupted their conversation and asked Aurora directly, ¡°What do you think?¡± After Aurora had seen enough, she replied without much interest, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t need to go to kindergarten¡­ but it¡¯s good to pick up equestrian skills and archery.¡± This was clearly choosing the Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten. ¡°Then we can go to school together from now on!¡± Hugo cheered. Favian¡¯s smile froze. However, Augustus raised his glass to hide his smile. There were three adults and two children sitting at the small dining table. It was rather crowded. Favian¡¯s smile turned sharp the third time he bumped into Augustus¡¯ leg under the table. ¡°President Astor, the table in Maddy¡¯s house is too small. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not befitting of your status.¡± Augustus placed the food in his mouth and nodded in agreement. ¡°T¡¯ll get someone to deliver a larger dining table tomorrow.¡± Favian paused for a moment before sneering. ¡°President Astor is truly otherworldly. Do you think there¡¯s space for that in this living room?¡± Hearing this, Augustus surveyed the living room calmly and tapped his chin thoughtfully. ¡°Indeed. Why don¡¯t I give Aurora a house as a gift? You can choose any house in the city.¡± The house suggestion came so suddenly that Aurora almost dropped her fork. Favian¡¯s smile gradually turned murderous. ¡°How generous of you to give a child a house!¡± Augustus narrowed his eyes slightly. ¡°That¡¯s normal. So long as Aurora wants it, I¡¯ll give it to her.¡± Thud! Madeline slammed her fork on the table with a cold face. ¡°We¡¯re done eating. Both of you, please leave.¡± Two minutes later, Aurora and Hugo looked at the two people outside the door and snickered. ¡°president Astor, I¡¯m allowing Hugo to stay here in my house these next two days. However, I¡¯m only welcoming the child, and not any adults! President Lewis, I¡¯ll contact you again if there¡¯s anything. Thank you again for today. Our house is small, and we can¡¯t accommodate important people like the two of you!¡± Madeline said expressionlessly and slammed the door shut. Outside, Augustus and Favian¡¯s eyes met, and the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder. Favian put away his usual gentle smile and said bluntly, ¡°President Astor, I hope you won¡¯t come and disturb Maddy again.¡± ¡°Mr. Lewis, you¡¯re poking your nose in the wrong place. My son is here, of course I have to come.¡± Augustus¡¯ expression was cold as his eyes glinted sharply. ¡°You, on the other hand, should come less often. After all, both of you are single.¡± Favian smirked and refused to budge. ¡°Aurora and I are like father and daughter. Why can¡¯t I come?¡± Bam! A loud bang sounded from inside the house. Madeline¡¯s angry voice suddenly rang out¡­¡±Can the two of you please stop quarreling outside my door so late at night?¡± Chapter 14 - A Strange Experiment Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Early the next morning. Just as Madeline walked out of the room, she saw Hugo bringing out a plate of black goop from the kitchen. At the sight of her, a bright smile suddenly appeared on Hugo¡¯s dirt-covered face. ¡°Mommy, I made you breakfast!¡± Madeline looked at the piece of charcoal-like object on the plate and wondered if it could even be eaten. ¡°Uh¡­. Actually, there¡¯s no need to cook¡­¡± But seeing Hugo¡¯s slightly hopeful and ingratiating gaze, she couldn¡¯t bear to hurt his feelings. Madeline whipped up two more sunny side-ups and placed them in front of him. Seeing Hugo eating them with relish, a strange feeling suddenly arose in her heart. Her feelings towards Hugo were very complicated. On one hand, she knew that he was the child of her enemy, but on the other hand, she had an inexplicable sense of kinship towards Hugo. She couldn¡¯t hate him, nor could she neglect him. Also For some strange reason, Hugo¡¯s behavior towards his biological mother, Courtney, was terrible. ¡°Tm going to work today. Stay at home with Aurora.¡± Thinking of her sleeping daughter, Madeline said, ¡°If she wants to do any strange experiments, call me.¡± After settling the two children, Madeline left. The Italian headquarters of the company she worked at had informed her that a VVIP customer (1. VIPs with a very high rank or spending power, not a status that can just be bought.] had paid a hefty sum of money to hire her as her designated fashion designer. Madeline had returned to take on the role of Chief Designer for the US branch. With her current status, she had long since stopped accepting private orders. However, now that a big customer was keen to hire her and her company¡¯s HQ had even persuaded her to take on this assignment, she was glad to make this trip. They had arranged to meet at a private and luxurious clubhouse, and after giving the concierge the room number, a waiter led Madeline through a long corridor to a wooden door. ¡°Come in.¡± Madeline found the voice familiar. She looked up and was stunned. Mrs. Astor was shocked too. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± Madeline left without another word, and called her company¡¯s headquarters to confirm the client¡¯s name. Two minutes later, Madeline put on a business-like smile and sat down opposite Mrs. Astor. ¡°Hello Mrs. Astor, I¡¯m the Chief Designer of BELLA¡¯s US branch, Willow. If you wish to switch to another designer, I¡¯ll get someone else to come over now.¡± Mrs. Astor was in complete disbelief. ¡°How can you be Willow?!¡± Willow was an up-and-coming fashion designer who had become extremely popular these past few years. The high-end gowns that she designed would be sold out as soon as they were released every season, and BELLA, which was originally a label that was struggling at the bottom rungs of the luxury world, was propelled by Willow into a top female luxury clothes label. To be able to get Willow to design one¡¯s clothes was definitely a symbol of one¡¯s status! Mrs. Astor found it difficult to breathe when she thought about how she had used her connections, spent a lot of money, and put in a lot of effort to get a meeting with Willow, but it turned out to be Madeline, whom she had despised and ridiculed. Didn¡¯t they say that Madeline was a materialistic slut who would resort to any means to seduce men?! How did she make Favian Lewis like her, and now, turn into a famous fashion designer? Seeing Mrs. Astor¡¯s incredulous expression, Madeline¡¯s smile didn¡¯t change. She nodded cordially. ¡°It looks like you aren¡¯t too satisfied with me. I¡¯ll call the other designers to come over now and take over this assignment.¡± With that, she picked up her bag and left without any hesitation. ¡°Wait! You¡­¡± Mrs. Astor didn¡¯t have time to think and quickly called out to her. Madeline cut her off as she retained her perfect and polite smile. ¡°Mrs. Astor, don¡¯t worry. The other designers in our company are as outstanding as me.¡± How could they be the same? Would the other designers make her the envy of others? Would they be able to showcase her status? The name ¡°Willow¡¯ alone would provide all that! However, Madeline¡¯s attitude clearly indicated that she did not want to take on this job. Mrs. Astor was so angry that her chest started heaving up and down. However, she remembered that she had already boasted about this matter to the other rich ladies, and Mrs. Lewis¡¯ birthday party was coming up. She could only grit her teeth and suppress the anger in her heart. ¡°Sit down!¡± Madeline secretly rolled her eyes and sat back down. The two looked at each other in silence. Seeing the polite and cold smile on Madeline¡¯s face, Mrs. Astor was still in disbelief. ¡°Are you really Willow?¡± Madeline pretended to reach for her bag, ¡°I¡¯ll call the other designers¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need!¡± Mrs. Astor¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°You¡¯re the one I want!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Madeline sighed softly and took out her laptop. ¡°Please tell me your requirements.¡± Seeing her businesslike attitude, Mrs. Astor¡¯s embarrassment slightly subsided. ¡°Tm going to attend a friend¡¯s birthday party in a few days¡¯ time. I hope that this gown can showcase the Astor family¡¯s status, make me look graceful, elegant and allow me to stand out from the crowd.¡± As Mrs. Astor spoke, an arrogant expression appeared on her face. Madeline nodded and typed a few words on the laptop. Plastic and superficial relationships. She wanted to stand out at her friend¡¯s birthday party. What a touching friendship! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve noted it down¡­¡± ¡°Mrs. Lewis, this way please. Mom and the designer, Willow, are waiting for you inside.¡± As the door was pushed open again, Madeline saw the people who arrived, and couldn¡¯t help but frown. She¡¯d really started her day off on the wrong foot. These people were all old acquaintances of hers. Courtney and Mrs. Lewis looked as though they had seen a ghost. They exclaimed at the same time, ¡°Why are you here?!¡± ¡®Madeline greeted them expressionlessly. ¡°Hello, I am the Chief Designer of BELLA¡¯s US branch, Willow.¡± ¡°Willow?¡± There was another chorus of surprise. Seeing their reactions, Mrs. Astor actually felt much better. It was fine as long as she wasn¡¯t the only one embarrassed. Her smile suddenly became natural. ¡°Mrs. Lewis, do you know Willow?¡± Mrs. Lewis¡¯ expression stiffened. ¡°Not really.¡± Madeline smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. Courtney was angry and jealous at the same time. She had never thought that Madeline would be Willow. She had not even finished university when she got pregnant! This must be fake! Coincidentally, Favian¡¯s mother was here too. She had to expose Madeline¡¯s true colors! Courtney walked over, her gaze becoming pained. ¡°Madeline, how could you come up with such a lie? You didn¡¯t even graduate from university¡­¡± As she said that, she covered her mouth as if she had said something wrong, and her actions caused the two other women¡¯s imaginations to run wild. As expected, Mrs. Astor and Mrs. Lewis¡¯ expressions changed. Facing their questioning gazes, Madeline sighed slightly and looked at Courtney with a bone-chilling gaze. ¡°You probably didn¡¯t investigate it clearly when you harmed me. Back then, I had already received the acceptance letter from the world¡¯s top design institute.¡± Courtney¡¯s expression stiffened. ¡°What are you talking about¡­¡± ¡°What? Do you want me to expose everything in front of your mother-in-law?¡± Madeline laughed sarcastically. ¡°Back then, you drugged me¡­¡± ¡°Madeline!¡± Courtney did not expect her to really dare to say such an embarrassing thing in public! She lowered her eyes in a panic and when she looked up again, her eyes were already red. ¡°Are you blaming me for not caring enough about you? Why didn¡¯t you contact your family if you were still alive? We all thought that you were dead!¡± Chapter 15 - A Gentle Look Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Contact her family and ask them to kill her again? Madeline couldn¡¯t be bothered to put on a pitiful act like Courtney had. She picked up her bag and nodded at Mrs. Astor. ¡°I¡¯ve noted down all your requests and I¡¯ll send the gown to your residence in two days. I still have something on, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°Oh, there¡¯s still Mrs. Lewis¡­¡± Mrs. Astor instinctively tried to stop her, but Madeline had already left without looking back. Mrs. Lewis didn¡¯t look pleased that Madeline didn¡¯t bother about her at all. ¡°Oh, Mrs. Lewis, look¡­¡± Seeing that Mrs. Lewis wasn¡¯t given any preferential treatment, Mrs. Astor felt a little proud. ¡°Willow isn¡¯t the only designer in this world!¡± Mrs. Lewis glanced at Courtney with a cold expression, her eyes filled with disdain. ¡°However, Mrs. Astor, your taste in daughter-in-law is even more astounding.¡± Even though she looked down on Madeline, she was even more repulsed by Courtney, who was obviously not a good person! After hearing her words, Mrs. Astor recalled that Favian was pursuing Madeline. She then looked at Courtney, who only knew how to act pitiful and please others, and her mood turned somewhat sour. ¡°Madeline! Stop right there!¡± Madeline had just walked to the entrance of the private clubhouse, when she was stopped by Courtney, who had run out after her. Since there was no one around them, Courtney no longer pretended to be gentle and weak. Her eyes were filled with disgust and hatred. ¡°Why are you trying to get closer to Augustus?¡± Madeline was amused. Initially, she wanted to say that Augustus wasn¡¯t attractive enough for her to want to approach him, but looking at how concerned Courtney was, she changed her mind. She raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you think?¡± Courtney gritted her teeth so hard that they were about to crack. ¡°I won¡¯t let you succeed!¡± Madeline sneered, as she looked at Courtney nonchalantly. ¡°But I¡¯m about to succeed.¡± She added smugly. ¡°Augustus came to my house last night. Do you know what happened?¡± Her tone was extremely ambiguous, making Courtney¡¯s imagination run wild. The latter¡¯s pretty face turned vicious, as though she wanted to bite Madeline to death. ¡°Madeline! You¡­¡± ¡°Oh? What happened between us last night?¡± A low and indifferent voice suddenly sounded behind her, shocking Madeline so much that she had goosebumps all over. Augustus walked out from behind a pillar and glared at her sharply. ¡®The comers of Madeline¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Does President Astor have a habit of eavesdropping?¡± Augustus sneered coldly at her. ¡°If I didn¡¯t eavesdrop, I wouldn¡¯t have found out a person¡¯s true colors.¡± So this woman was indeed scheming, and wanted to use him to attack Courtney? Augustus wasn¡¯t in a good mood, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he had seen Madeline¡¯s true colors, or because of the fact that she was trying to get close to him because of Courtney. Courtney was delighted when she saw the cold aura surrounding Augustus. A smug gleam flashed across her eyes. She had already noticed Augustus¡¯ figure behind the pillar, which was why she had provoked Madeline to say those words. This was great However, in the next second, her smile froze. Augustus didn¡¯t even spare her a glance; instead, he suddenly scooped Madeline into his arms and strode away! By the time she came back to her senses, the two of them had already disappeared! Courtney was so furious that she wanted to scream. All these years, she hadn¡¯t been able to touch even the corner of Augustus¡¯ clothes. But Madeline had. She had to kill her! ¡°Augustus Astor, are you crazy? Put me down!¡± After regaining her senses from her previous shock, Madeline struggled in Augustus¡¯ arms in disbelief, but the man¡¯s arms were like an iron vice that couldn¡¯t be moved. Augustus¡¯ expression was frigid as he threw Madeline into the front passenger¡¯s seat and drove off. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Madeline frowned and explained impatiently. ¡°I was just joking to spite Courtney. I have no interest in you.¡± Augustus chuckled angrily when he heard this. ¡°Really? Do you think I would believe you?¡± I don¡¯t F*cking care if you believe me or not! Madeline was speechless. It was her first time seeing such an arrogant man! ¡°Ok, President Astor, even if I wanted to get close to you, now that you¡¯ve seen my true colors, can you please stay away from me?¡± Augustus smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s first talk about what happened last night.¡± This man is crazy! ¡®Madeline was about to lose her temper, when her phone suddenly vibrated and a text message popped up. Hugo had sent her a picture. After taking a clear look, Madeline¡¯s face froze. ¡°President Astor, please drive to my house.¡± Augustus glanced at her. ¡°Do you like to bring men home?¡± What the heck?! Madeline sneered and raised the phone in front of this stupid man¡¯s face. ¡°If you don¡¯t go back now, these two brats will bun my house down!¡± On the road, the low-profile black sports car made a sharp U-turn and sped off. Twenty minutes later, Madeline angrily stormed into her house. ¡°Aurora West! Hugo Astor! Both of you! Come out now!¡± Looking around, she saw that the house was already filled with thick smoke, making it hard for her to open her eyes. Madeline and Augustus hurriedly opened the windows for ventilation. Amidst the smoke, two small, dark figures ran out of the kitchen, each carrying a plate of black mass. Aurora opened her mouth, revealing a row of small porcelain white teeth that contrasted with her dirty face. ¡°Mom, look at the braised pork I made!¡± Hugo refused to be outdone, and raised the plate in his hand. ¡°This is my grilled steak!¡± ¡®One was her own daughter, so she couldn¡¯t be angry. The other was someone else¡¯s son, so she couldn¡¯t be angry either. They were still children. Madeline took three deep breaths and forced out a stiff smile. ¡°Not bad, very good, but please, clean up the house within ten minutes, otherwise¡­¡± She used her hand to mimic a knife and slowly slid it across her neck. When Madeline rushed into her bedroom and slammed the door angrily, Aurora nodded in earnest. ¡°Mom praised us. Looks like we did well!¡± Hugo rubbed his head and pretended to frown coolly. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡­ Mommy was praising us?¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Aurora looked like she was already used to it. ¡°She said it¡¯s not bad and that it¡¯s very good. That means she¡¯s really praising us.¡± Hugo tilted his head and thought for a while. ¡°What if Mommy says it¡¯s bad, and it¡¯s terrible?¡± Aurora blinked her big eyes and smiled slyly. ¡°Women always say the opposite of what they mean. Her original intention would actually be to praise us.¡± Augustus couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he watched the two children. He had to admit, Madeline was a woman who knew how to raise a child well. She had raised Aurora to be lively, intelligent and positive. In comparison, his son was too simple-minded. Half an hour later, Madeline couldn¡¯t help but walk out of the bedroom when she didn¡¯t hear anything outside. ¡°Aurora, you¡­¡± Before she finished her words, she widened her eyes in shock. ¡°Au¡­ Augustus?¡± She stared at the man in front of her, who was wearing a hat made out of newspapers and playing with the kids with a mop in his hands.. Was this really Augustus? Chapter 16 - Abandoning Her Husband and Son Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations It was known that this man, the head of the top aristocratic family in Washington, was a man who was cold as ice and didn¡¯t get close to women. But now, he was here, cleaning her house. Madeline could not believe her eyes and so she hurriedly rubbed them to clear her vision. Augustus might not look like himself right now, but the two troublemakers beside him were real. Especially Aurora, who showed her two neat rows of pearly white teeth. She smiled and shouted, ¡°Mom, look at how hardworking Dad is. I helped you find a diligent husband. Aren¡¯t you touched?¡± Madeline almost rushed forward to pull her ear. She replied angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. I¡¯m not fated to be married to such a person. Why would he fall for a scheming woman like me?¡± These two had just exchanged some harsh words two hours ago, so in a certain sense, they were still enemies. Of course, what made Madeline even angrier was the pile of rubbish, the broken glass, as well as the plants that she bought recently, on the ground. Madeline took a deep breath and put her hands on her hips to calm herself down, so that she wouldn¡¯t impulsively kick these people out. Aurora, who had always understood her mother, hurriedly shouted, ¡°Mom, calm down, calm down. Think about how wonderful this world is. Your daughter is the world¡¯s number one cutie, so I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t hurt me, right?¡± The solemn atmosphere made Hugo fearful. He echoed Aurora. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t be angry. We really just wanted to help you clean up.¡± Madeline only did one action, and that was to point at the door and shout, ¡°Get out! Don¡¯t let me see you and your son again. My small place can¡¯t accommodate you.¡± Madeline had already started pushing them to the door, ignoring Augustus¡¯ livid face. All the women in the city were eager to get close to him. This was especially so for Courtney, who had wanted to climb into his bed for the past five years, but he had never looked her in the eye. Yet, this woman despised him. ¡°Woman, if you¡¯re trying to attract me using this method, then let me tell you, you¡¯ve succeeded.¡± Madeline was not in the mood to joke around with him. ¡°Success my ass. I¡¯m warning you now. Don¡¯t appear in my line of sight. Take your boy and leave.¡± Perhaps it was because her tone was a little harsh and she had specially mentioned Hugo, that the poor child suddenly burst into tears. ¡°Wah! Mommy doesn¡¯t want me! Mommy abandoned me for five years and now she doesn¡¯t want me again. I¡¯m so pitiful, I¡¯m going to become a motherless child again.¡± Augustus couldn¡¯t help but sneer. ¡°You have a biological mother!¡± ¡°No, no. That¡¯s a bad woman. She¡¯s not my biological mother. My biological mother is here.¡± Hugo seemed to know that he would not be able to return after leaving this time, so he sobbed piteously. Madeline¡¯s heart, which had been filled with anger at the start, now felt like it was being twisted by a knife. She had an inexplicable urge to go over and hug this child. And Aurora added insult to injury, as she sighed and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mom to be someone who abandoned her husband and son. In the past, I even said that you were a loyal person. How could you do this?¡± Abandon her husband and son? Madeline really couldn¡¯t control herself this time. She walked forward and twisted Aurora¡¯s ear, then said angrily, ¡°You little girl, how dare you accuse me?¡± Aurora smiled and looked at Hugo, who was still in a daze as she explained her mother¡¯s harsh actions. ¡°Hugo, you¡¯ll only get punished because she loves you. You will get used to it in the future.¡± Madeline was about to be angered to death by this daughter of hers who wasn¡¯t afraid of being beaten or scolded. Madeline was feeling desolate. This time, the two children were crying together and they happened to be at the entrance of her house. Very soon, they attracted the attention of the neighbors and even the people next door came out. ¡°Hey, if your family has something to discuss, can you go back into your house? Stop crying and making a scene at the door and affecting us uninvolved people!¡± Madeline was really speechless. The two people she pushed out were pulled back in by her in the blink of an eye. They were like puppets who were being manipulated by her hands. And Hugo, who had never allowed outsiders to be near him, seemed to be possessed, as he refused to leave. For someone who would never beg for mercy, he actually walked over pitifully and carefully pulled Madeline¡¯s clothes. ¡°Mommy, don¡¯t chase me away. If you don¡¯t like Dad, just let him go. I¡¯m still a child.¡± His words made Augustus see him in a new light. He even felt that he had raised him for nothing over the past five years. How could he push his father away so easily? At the same time, Augustus was astonished by his son¡¯s transformation. His son, who had always been cold and aloof, had changed completely because of this stranger. He even revealed a smile that he had never seen before. Did this woman really have such healing powers? Madeline pressed her temples and calmed down. ¡°Listen carefully now. My life has been disrupted by the both of you, and from now on, I want to return back to my original life. Go back to wherever you came from.¡± Aurora, who stood behind her, shook her head and accused her mother of being cruel. But Madeline didn¡¯t want to have any other inexplicable feelings for Hugo, so she wanted to cut ties with him. Besides, she hated this group of people; she didn¡¯t want to interact with anyone related to Courtney. Hugo knew that he was about to be chased away, so he shot Augustus a pleading look. Perhaps it was because his heartstrings had been tugged, or perhaps it was because his temperament had changed due to this woman, but Augustus made a bold choice. He decisively pushed Hugo forward. ¡°From today onwards, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of Hugo for a while. Meanwhile, in order to repay your kindness, I will arrange for Aurora to attend Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten. It¡¯s settled then.¡± It was as though he didn¡¯t want to give Madeline a chance to reject him, because after saying this, Augustus turned around and left. This¡­ this person was too conceited. Why was it that everything was arranged by him? Moreover, who would give their own son to someone else? Madeline had every reason to believe that this person had ulterior motives. ¡®When Madeline ran out of the door, there was no one in the street. Did that man escape in a rocket? Madeline returned to the house angrily after failing to find Augustus. She refused to let herself be manipulated like this. How could she simply follow his arrangements? She just wanted to send this hot potato back. However, when she walked in, she saw little Hugo carefully squatting on the ground and cleaning up the mess.. Chapter 17 - You Sure are Smart Chapter 17: You Sure are Smart Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations At that moment, Madeline felt her chest tighten. There was a strange pain that crawled into her heart, making her unable to breathe. She then looked at the usually mischievous Aurora. This time, with someone accompanying her, she was actually cleaning up the mess obediently. Although the children had made a huge mess, they really wanted to help her clean up. This made Madeline unable to reprimand them. Finally, she sighed and went forward. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll do it myself!¡± However, how could the two little helpers idle around? They insisted on helping her. ¡°No way. I¡¯m a man. I have to take good care of my mother.¡± ¡°Everyone says that daughters are their mother¡¯s sweetheart. I want to be Mommy¡¯s little helper too.¡± Madeline was very relieved to see this. She beckoned for the two children to come closer, and only when she hugged them did she feel at ease. Previously, Madeline had some opinions about Hugo, mostly because he was Courtney¡¯s son, and she had a giant feud against Courtney. As the saying goes, love me, love my dog. Since she hated Courtney to the core, how could she like her son? However, this thought seemed to have been erased completely. She had to admit that this child was really cute. Under Madeline¡¯s lead, they worked for over two hours, and finally, all three of them collapsed on the sofa. Seeing the two children sleeping soundly in her arms, Madeline felt that her life was complete. If only this child wasn¡¯t Courtney¡¯s, but her own! However, Madeline was quickly amused by her own shameless idea. The next morning, just as the three of them were having breakfast, the doorbell rang. Favian was usually the only one who would come at this hour. However, when Aurora ran to open the door, she heard her call out warmly, ¡°Daddy, you¡¯re here!¡± Madeline, who was sitting at the dining table, was so anxious that she coughed and choked on her food. The man at the door strode in and handed her a glass of water. ¡°Why are you so agitated? Could it be that you feel something for me?¡± Madeline waved at him, indicating for him to stay away from her. She then replied, ¡°You¡¯re really out of my league. You¡¯d better not say such scary things. You came at the right time. Take your son back with you.¡± Hugo said, ¡°I¡¯m also your son.¡± Madeline was at a loss for words. This time, it was her turn to look at the little boy pitifully, afraid that he would say something shocking again. ¡°Anyway, take him away quickly and don¡¯t appear in front of me again.¡± Madeline knew very well that as long as Hugo was at her house, Augustus would come over anytime. She had already been labeled as a mistress; if she continued to interact with him, she might be accused of seducing a married man. She had to put an end to this. She had to! However, Augustus asked calmly, ¡°What if I refuse to take him away?¡± ¡°¡­ What a perfectly shameless answer. Don¡¯t tell me that you really want to get close to me? What is it about me that has caught your eye? Tell me, and I¡¯ll change.¡± She thought about how the two of them hated each other at first sight, so why did this person suddenly care about her? ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m doing this purely because of Hugo. I¡¯m here today to inform you that Aurora will be able to go to Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten with Hugo from today onwards.¡± ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°If you refuse, I¡¯ll make sure that you won¡¯t be able to survive in Washington.¡± Madeline had seen many despicable and shameless people, but this was the first time she had seen someone so shameless that there were no words to describe his behavior. Aurora, who was behind her, jumped up happily when she heard that she could study with Hugo. ¡°That¡¯s great, Mom. From now on, I can study with my brother. I won¡¯t be afraid of being lonely anymore.¡± Madeline¡¯s struggle of bringing up Aurora single-handedly, as well as her guilt towards Aurora being raised by a struggling mother, were her greatest regrets. Initially, she was worried that Aurora wouldn¡¯t be able to handle being around these two people after they came back. However, seeing how close she was to Hugo and how they were like twin siblings, she felt relieved. Madeline looked at her daughter and asked gently, ¡°Aurora, do you really want to study with Hugo?¡± To do this, Aurora had to remain interested, so it would be better if she listened to Aurora¡¯s opinion. Aurora nodded firmly. ¡°Yes, Mom. Just let me be with Hugo. I like him.¡± Now that her daughter was very satisfied with the father-son pair, if she continued to stop her, she wouldn¡¯t be happy even if she sent her to another good kindergarten. In the end, Madeline had no choice but to concede. She glanced at the confident Augustus and said, ¡°I will follow your arrangement this time. I will also pay all the necessary fees.¡± Augustus snorted coldly. ¡°The annual fee is five million dollars. Do you want to pay by cash or by credit card?¡± Madeline only had one thought in her mind: Can I take back what I just said? Augustus then quickly said, when he saw her expression, ¡°Of course, I can give you a discount, but I have a condition.¡± Hearing that it could be waived, Madeline looked at him with great interest and said curiously, ¡°Tell me your conditions!¡± ¡°From today onwards, my son and I will have our meals here. I¡¯ve discovered that this environment has positive benefits towards Hugo¡¯s character development, and it will help him.¡± This was completely out of Madeline¡¯s expectations. She thought she was going to have to work for free to compensate for the money, or even have to sell herself or do something similar. However, she did not expect his condition to be so easy. Five million dollars. What should she feed them with before she could pay off the entire sum? ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute to think about it. If you want to go back on your word, I have no objections.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need! I¡¯ll answer you right now, I agree!¡± Anyway, for the sake of money, anything could be discussed. Augustus cast her a contemptuous look. Indeed, this woman loved money. She was willing to do anything to cover this expense. Madeline quickly got into character and politely said, ¡°President Astor, would you like to have some breakfast? I¡¯ll serve you from today onwards.¡± Augustus snorted derisively. ¡°You sure are smart!¡± As he spoke, he walked over to the dining table. When he saw the two children, a strange feeling arose in his heart. He had to admit it, he really liked Aurora. Otherwise, a cold person like him would never meddle in other people¡¯s business. This time, he even personally arranged a place for Aurora in the kindergarten so that she could go to school with his son. As his thoughts ran, he picked up a spoon on the table and started eating the remaining cereal from the bowl in front of him.. Chapter 18 - Actually Compromising Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline, who had just walked out of the kitchen, rushed forward and placed the bowl of cereal she had just poured out in front of him. ¡°Augustus Astor, what are you doing?! That bowl is min However, the two children opposite her were overjoyed. ¡°Oh my, Daddy and Mommy shared an indirect kiss!¡± ¡°That¡¯s so sweet, we¡¯re seeing these lovey dovey moments from a young age!¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± shouted the two of them at the same time. Madeline looked at Augustus with disdain, who was also stunned, and impatiently pulled her bowl over. Augustus was known for his obsession with cleanliness, and he had never liked to touch others¡¯ things. However, when he found out that he had eaten Madeline¡¯s leftover cereal, there were no fluctuations in his emotions. If he was in the Astor mansion or in the office, his utensils and even his daily necessities were not to be used by anyone else. Otherwise, the outcome would be terrible. However, now that he had eaten her leftovers, he didn¡¯t feel upset. Instead, he felt a little delighted. However, before he could rejoice, he saw Madeline bringing the bowl back to the kitchen disdainfully, and even making a dissatisfied sound. ¡°It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a child. Shouldn¡¯t he take a look before eating?¡± Augustus, who was sitting at the dining table, had never felt so aggrieved before. He hadn¡¯t even had the chance to reprimand her, yet she had already given him the cold shoulder. His feelings were complicated. What was most hateful was that he didn¡¯t despise her, so why should she despise him? What made him embarrassed was that he couldn¡¯t show the grievance and anger in his heart, because he was in the wrong. On the other hand, the two little children were obediently eating their food, trying to avoid being implicated. Augustus was filled with resentment. After breakfast, Augustus took the two children away. Madeline was worried and followed them until she saw Aurora happily following Hugo into the kindergarten building. ¡°It¡¯s the parents who can¡¯t leave their children, not the children who can¡¯t leave their parents. You¡¯d better calm down. After Aurora goes in to play for two days, she might even forget about you.¡± Madeline had clearly felt disappointed after sending her daughter to school, but instead of consoling her, Augustus had added insult to injury. Augustus had put in a lot of effort to get back at her. However, Madeline smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. No wonder Hugo forgot about you, his father. It¡¯s because he was sent to the Astor family¡¯s kindergarten. In that case, I have to reconsider whether Aurora should attend this kindergarten.¡± She had completely crushed Augustus and made him gnash his teeth in anger. This woman had touched a sore spot and deliberately used his words against him. Seeing that he couldn¡¯t speak, Madeline shrugged. ¡°Since everything is ready, I should go back to work.¡± However, just as she turned around, he stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget my three meals!¡± Madeline frowned. ¡°The children are not home at noon. Why would you come?¡± Augustus had suffered in silence for the entire morning. He had to do something to make himself look better, so he strode forward with a teasing smile. ¡°Naturally, I want to spend time alone with you!¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s very likely that you forgot to take your medicine when you went out. If you have a problem with your heart, it¡¯s better to go see a doctor.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, but after she took two steps away, she heard someone say, ¡°Five million!¡± His words seemed to have a magical power, which made Madeline turn around immediately and look like she was forced to do business. Fortunately, she had gone through professional training, so she smiled warmly. ¡°President Astor, please tell me what you want to eat. Whether it flies in the sky or runs on the ground, including whether it swims in the water, I can¡¯t really cook it, but as long as you¡¯re willing to lower your status and come to my home, I have no objections.¡± Augustus really had to admire this woman, but he didn¡¯t feel as disgusted as before. After some thought, he said, ¡°I have a meeting today. You can send it to the office later.¡± This arrangement would undoubtedly send Madeline to her death. Besides, she had a feeling that Augustus had made such an arrangement to take revenge on her. ¡°Tm sorry, President Astor. If you want to force me, I can take Aurora out now. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Money was very important, but her self-esteem was more important. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she would die if she spent that sum of money, Madeline wouldn¡¯t have to suffer over such a small matter. Besides, if she were to compromise this time, this d*mn b*stard would use other things to threaten her in the future. So after weighing the pros and cons, it was time for them to go home and mind their own business. Augustus didn¡¯t believe that she would be so proud. None of the women around him had ever been so proud in front of him. Therefore, he said firmly, ¡°If you say so, I have no objections. You can pick her up now.¡± Good! She was going against him! If Madeline was someone who would give in easily, she wouldn¡¯t have survived all these years bringing Aurora up. Hence, she nodded with certainty. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now!¡± This wasn¡¯t a negotiation, so Madeline turned around swiftly and walked back to the school. Augustus thought that Madeline was merely trying to scare him and make him compromise. However, Madeline had already gone to speak with the security guards. ¡°This damn woman is really stubborn!¡± Augustus had never bowed his head in front of any woman. Now that he saw her talking to the security officers, he knew that the teacher would really send Aurora out if this continued. How could he allow this to happen? In the end, Augustus gritted his teeth and marched forward angrily. He pulled Madeline over and said, ¡°Are you crazy? I have just arranged this, and you want to ruin it?¡± Madeline wasn¡¯t angry at all. Instead, she said politely, ¡°President Astor, don¡¯t be angry. Commoners like us are unable to go up against you. We can¡¯t afford to study in a prestigious school, and I can¡¯t accept your arrangement either. I think it¡¯s reasonable for us to do this.¡± Madeline¡¯s confident attitude made Augustus feel like he was having an aneurysm. In the end, he could not dissuade her. He sighed and said, ¡°Forget it. Pretend I didn¡¯t say anything just now. You can do whatever you want.¡± Augustus had compromised. Augustus, the man who was feared by everyone, had bowed his head to a woman he had only known for a few days. ¡®When Courtney, who was nearby, saw this scene, her eyes widened in fear. All these years, she had tried so hard to climb into Augustus¡¯ bed, but she hadn¡¯t been able to get a proper status. Even though she had managed to settle Augustus¡¯ parents, she hadn¡¯t been able to get Augustus to look her way. What was more infuriating was that Hugo had always been distant from her. She had to think of a way out. If she couldn¡¯t win his heart, she would get rid of Madeline, and prevent the mother and son from reuniting.. Chapter 19 - Trap Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline had always hated it when people threatened her. Besides, what was so great about Augustus? She didn¡¯t like him at all. She had reluctantly accepted his arrangement because he was helping her daughter, but if he still tried to take advantage of her, she would retaliate. She wasn¡¯t someone who would submit to adversity. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. Although T¡¯ll feed you and your son three meals a day, you have to follow my rules. If I¡¯m in a bad mood one day and don¡¯t want to cook, we¡¯ll buy takeout.¡± ¡°Fine. You call the shots on your territory.¡± Augustus had no idea how he was good-naturedly agreeing to this woman¡¯s rude request. Although he was the one who was rude first, she managed to turn the situation around. Madeline nodded satisfactorily and waved goodbye at him before driving off. ¡°This woman is really infuriating!¡± Augustus didn¡¯t notice the smile on his face as he spoke. He looked at the kindergarten and felt assured about Aurora. He had made all these concessions to ease his relationship with Hugo. This child had been irritable since he was young. The child psychologist had said that if this continued, it would affect the child¡¯s mental and physical health. There was a high possibility that he would suffer from violent tendencies, and in more serious cases, this would result in dissociative identity disorders. Otherwise, Augustus, who had always been cold and aloof, wouldn¡¯t have been willing to lower himself to beg this greedy woman. However, he quite liked this feeling. Madeline received a call shortly after she parted ways with Augustus. ¡°Hi, are you Aurora¡¯s mother?¡± Hearing the serious tone of the other party, Madeline immediately stopped the car by the curbside. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m her mother. May I know who you are?¡± ¡°This is the main office of Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten. Because your child has been at odds with the other children since she arrived at school, and has even done some strange things which have affected the other children, we have already sent her elsewhere.¡± Madeline was very worried when she heard the first part, but she became furious when she heard that her daughter was sent to another place. ¡°How can your school do things like this? If there¡¯s really something wrong with my daughter, you can just let me pick her up. How can you secretly send her to another place? Is this how the Astor Corporation bullies people?¡± Madeline¡¯s first reaction was that the Astor Corporation¡¯s people were arrogant, so this kindergarten was also domineering. They actually dared to send her daughter away! Fortunately, she had taught Aurora to be a tough girl. Otherwise, she would definitely be crying right now. ¡°Anyway, the reason we¡¯re calling now is to inform you to pick her up at this place!¡± The other party sounded impatient, and after hanging up, he sent her the address. Madeline immediately located the address. Fortunately, the location was not far. Thinking that her precious daughter was here, she immediately changed her route. Of course, she didn¡¯t forget to scold Augustus. Hence, she called Augustus when she was driving. It had only been twenty minutes since they parted, yet this woman had unexpectedly called him. She was probably going to beg for forgiveness, or was already charmed by him. Augustus picked up the phone unhurriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? We¡¯ve only been apart for such a short time, are you¡­¡± ¡°Augustus, you b*stard! You¡¯ve gone too far. Do you think you¡¯re so great, just because you¡¯re rich? Let me tell you, if you hurt my daughter¡¯s young heart, I will fight you to the death.¡± She wasn¡¯t begging for mercy, nor was she mesmerized by him. She was cursing at him. Augustus was confused. His expression was livid as he asked, ¡°Madeline, what is wrong with you? Do you know who you are talking to right now?¡± ¡°Of course I know. I¡¯m talking to the most shameless man in Washington DC right now. Also, let me warm you, don¡¯t let your subordinates be too arrogant. One second ago, you said nicely that you wanted Aurora to be in your corporation¡¯s kindergarten, but in the blink of an eye, you got someone to chase her out. You¡¯re just toying with us, right?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°You dare to do it but don¡¯t dare to admit it? How dare you send my daughter somewhere else. I¡¯m telling you, I¡¯m going to pick her up right now. If she has any psychological trauma in the future, you¡¯re dea Madeline was in a foul mood and didn¡¯t give Augustus a chance to speak. She ended the call and continued driving. Augustus¡¯s grip on the phone hadn¡¯t changed. The chauffeur and assistant were stunned, even though they hadn¡¯t heard the conversation clearly. However, they saw the other party hang up first. ¡®What was even more amazing was that they heard the other party scolding him. True enough, a woman was the scariest being on earth. Augustus put down his phone stiffly and asked coldly, ¡°Are you itching to lose your jobs?¡± The two of them immediately looked straight ahead, not daring to look at his expression. Although Augustus was furious, he calmed down quickly and mulled over Madeline¡¯s anger. This crazy woman said that he had chased Aurora out of school, and even said that she was going to pick her up now. She definitely wasn¡¯t just trying to pick a fight out of nothing, right? Did something really happen? ¡®Augustus was furious as he dialed the school¡¯s number. The principal told him that Aurora had been obediently staying at school and was getting along well with her classmates. And because she was especially lively and cheerful, many children enjoyed playing with her. This meant that Madeline had been mistaken. But for her to say it so angrily, it must be true. Augustus suddenly thought of something terrible. He shouted, ¡°Turn around and investigate Madeline¡¯s whereabouts!¡± His assistant, Gerald York, said awkwardly, ¡°President Astor, it¡¯s almost time for our meeting with the client for the contract review. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for us to not show up?¡± Augustus was furious. ¡°What? Do I need you to teach me how to work? Do I need to call you President York?¡± Gerald was so frightened that he shook his head. It was as if President Astor had eaten gunpowder today. They had to be careful to avoid being implicated. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯ll investigate Miss West¡¯s situation immediately.¡± An ominous feeling rose in Augustus¡¯ heart. He was curious as to what had happened. Could it be that someone wanted to deal with Madeline? He had already investigated this woman before. Apart from having some conflict with her family, she didn¡¯t have any grudges with other people. Very quickly, Gerald said, ¡°President Astor, after tracking the car¡¯s location, we discovered that Miss West is currently approaching a newly-built mall. This mall will only be open in ten days. Currently, it¡¯s closed.¡± Chapter 20 - Timely Rescue Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations This news surprised Augustus. He was curious. Did someone really use such a method to deceive her? Also, no one should know that he had arranged for Aurora to attend Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten. What was going on? Augustus immediately called Madeline, but she refused to pick up. She was too angry to talk to him. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry over!¡± Although they didn¡¯t know what was wrong with President Astor today, the two of them didn¡¯t dare to ask. In any case, as long as they followed his instructions, they wouldn¡¯t be in the wrong. Augustus didn¡¯t know why he felt flustered. Although he said that he hated this woman, he didn¡¯t want her to get hurt. Madeline rushed to the given address as fast as she could. When she saw that it was just a mall that was about to open, a strange feeling crept into her heart. Just as she was still in doubt, the other party called again. ¡°Miss West, your child is inside this mall. Please come and get her quickly.¡± Madeline questioned, ¡°Why did your school choose such a place?¡± Although she was anxious, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to believe everything the other party said. Seeing that the situation was different, she naturally had to wait. However, just as she finished speaking, she heard the sound of a child crying in the mall. At the same time, Aurora¡¯s voice came from the other end of the phone, confirming that her daughter was inside. Madeline gritted her teeth. ¡°You¡¯re really vicious!¡± She hung up the phone and ran inside. Although she had seen some unread messages, she had no desire to open them when she saw that they were from Augustus. However, Madeline didn¡¯t realize that someone had locked the door behind her when she rushed in. The mall was empty, and there was no one in sight, but she could hear the child crying. ¡°Aurora, where are you? Answer me quickly when you hear Mommy¡¯s voice.¡± In the huge shopping mall, she could only hear the echo of her own voice. As the shopping mall was not officially operational, all the elevators were shut off. Just as she was panicking, she heard a sound coming from the third floor. ¡°Aurora, is that you? What¡¯s going on? Are you guys from the kindergarten or kidnappers?¡± Madeline was angry, but she could only think of finding her daughter first. She quickly ran up to the third floor and saw a child curled up in the corner, crying. Her figure was exactly the same as Aurora¡¯s. She walked forward and asked carefully, ¡°Aurora, is that you? Don¡¯t be afraid, Mommy¡¯s here!¡± However, when Madeline walked up to her and squatted down, the man who was hiding behind her suddenly raised his wooden stick and hit her neck. Madeline was caught off guard and didn¡¯t even have time to react before she was knocked unconscious on the ground. This crying child wasn¡¯t Aurora, but a child that Courtney had brought here. Only then did Courtney swagger out from a corner. She sneered. ¡°You¡¯re really as stupid as you were five years ago, to be tricked by such a method.¡± Very quickly, the person holding the wooden stick came forward to claim credit. He was a bootlicker called Shane Hart. He smiled and said, ¡°Courtney, I have already knocked this woman out. What should I do next?¡± Courtney looked at the safety railing of the third floor and said sinisterly, ¡°Shane, you¡¯re so good to me. Help me deal with this annoying woman. Push her over the barrier, I want her to fall to her death.¡± She recalled how this woman had approached Augustus and Hugo the moment she had returned. If she allowed their relationship to continue developing, she would lose her status. Moreover, she had to completely bury the secret from five years ago. Once it was exposed, she would be finished. Shane had long been bewitched by Courtney. He listened to everything she said and immediately went to grab Madeline, dragging her towards the barriers. Courtney just looked on coldly. She didn¡¯t manage to kill Madeline in the fire back then, but now, she was going to see Madeline die in front of her own eyes. However, Augustus had already reached the first floor by the time Shane lifted Madeline up. Because there was no one else there, Augustus caught sight of the two people on the third floor. ¡®What scared him even more was that a stranger was pushing the unconscious Madeline down. ¡°Hey! Who are you? Stop right now!¡± Echoes filled the empty space, following Augutus¡¯ shout. Courtney, who was on the third floor, was so startled that she started to tremble. ¡°Why¡­ Why is Augustus here? Shane, hurry up and push her down, then run away as fast as you can and lure these people away.¡± Even at this time, Courtney still didn¡¯t forget to get rid of Madeline. After all, this was a rare opportunity. It wasn¡¯t easy to trick this woman into coming here. If she lost this opportunity, she would have to put in more effort in the future. In any case, Shane was obedient. Letting him do this and then taking the blame was not a problem at all. Although Shane was flustered and anxious, in order to make his sweetheart happy, he gritted his teeth, grabbed Madeline¡¯s leg, and flipped her over. Augustus had asked Gerald and the chauffeur to chase after Shane, so he was the only one left downstairs. Hence, when Madeline fell, he rushed forward and caught her accurately. At the same time, his arms were hurt because of the impact, but still, he didn¡¯t let her go. Augustus landed on the ground with her and reached out to touch her neck. There was blood on her neck. He endured the pain and carried her out, but his arms were getting numb. Augustus yelled, ¡°All of you, come back! Don¡¯t chase anymore! It¡¯s more important to get medical aid now.¡± Augustus¡¯s arms had been fractured by the impact, and he was relying on his strong willpower to carry Madeline. ¡®When Gerald and the chauffeur heard this, they ran back quickly, without daring to slack off. Augustus immediately asked the driver to send the two of them to the hospital. After having a scan, it was confirmed that Augustus¡¯ condition wasn¡¯t good. Both of his arms were fractured, and his ribs were almost broken from the impact. One could only imagine how dangerous the situation was. Still, he had risked his life to save her. When Augustus rushed to the mall, he saw Madeline¡¯s car parked outside. When he saw that the door was locked, he thought that it was impossible for her to enter inside, but after some thought, he felt that something was amiss. In the end, Augustus instructed someone to pry open the lock with a wrench. The three of them then walked in to look for her. If they didn¡¯t enter just in time, something terrible would have happened. Augustus shuddered at the thought of this. Who had this woman offended to make someone want to kill her? Madeline only woke up in pain in the afternoon. She opened her eyes weakly and realized that she was in the hospital. She tried to sit up but felt so much pain that she could only lie back down. Chapter 21 - Savior Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡®As Madeline lay back down, she caught a glimpse of Augustus who was lying on the couch. She turned towards him angrily. She originally wanted to scold him, but when she saw that his arms were in casts and that he looked weak, she couldn¡¯t help but feel curious. Augustus, who had noticed her actions, grumbled. ¡°Are you an idiot? How could you be tricked into going to that place?¡± ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t you know how to speak properly? Even if you shut your mouth, no one will treat you as a mute.¡± No matter what, Madeline wouldn¡¯t let a man bully her. Plus, he wasn¡¯t qualified to criticize her. If it wasn¡¯t for the kindergarten. At the thought of this, she asked in horror, ¡°Where¡¯s Aurora? Who were those people who called me?¡± Augustus took a deep breath. He didn¡¯t want to say anything else to this crazy woman in case she angered him to death. Of course, Gerald, who was behind him, became most useful during this time. He hurriedly stepped forward and explained. ¡°Miss West, you¡¯ve been deceived. Aurora is still in school and hasn¡¯t left. President Astor has already called to confirm. If you don¡¯t believe me, we can bring her to see you after you¡¯re better.¡± Hearing that, Madeline also felt that there was something fishy about the matter, but she couldn¡¯t be bothered about that right now. After all, her daughter and her had depended on each other all these years, so she definitely couldn¡¯t think properly after knowing that her daughter might be in danger. Madeline continued to ask, ¡°Then what happened exactly? My neck and head hurt; someone must have knocked me out.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t remember much about what happened back there, except that she was suddenly attacked, and didn¡¯t even have the chance to react. Gerald continued to explain. ¡°After you scolded President Astor¡­¡± He noticed a scary gaze coming his way and immediately skipped over those words. ¡°After you contacted President Astor, he immediately sensed that something was wrong on your end. So, he immediately contacted the school and found out that nothing happened. He then tracked you down and found the mall. Miss West, guess how President Astor¡¯s injuries came about?¡± Gerald deliberately created some suspense, making Madeline a little speechless. However, when she heard that her daughter was safe and sound, she relaxed. ¡°It can¡¯t be because President Astor saved me, right?¡± Madeline would rather believe that he was hit by a car. She didn¡¯t believe that it was because he saved her. However, Gerald nodded his head firmly and said, ¡°Your guess is right. At that time, you were thrown down from the third floor by the criminal. It was President Astor who risked his life to catch you. Look, both his arms were fractured and his ribs were broken. Otherwise, did you think that him getting in an accident would happen so coincidentally?¡± Madeline thought Gerald was amazing. How could he have guessed her thoughts? Could Augustus¡¯ assistant be a mind reader? Madeline studied Augustus and tried her best to recall what had happened. Her head was about to split from her efforts when she finally recalled something. She had indeed fallen down. And now, she was safe and sound because someone had caught her, and it was this person before her. Madeline was still very shocked and touched. ¡°Mr. Astor, thank you for saving me, but you are responsible too, because you didn¡¯t tell me the school¡¯s contact details.¡± Augustus took a deep breath to prevent himself from rushing forward to strangle her. ¡°I saved your life. It¡¯s not something that you can conclude with just a word of thanks.¡± ¡®When Madeline saw his expression, she felt that she was in trouble. However, she was still very touched at the thought that he had really saved her. ¡°How do you want me to repay you? Just tell me.¡± Augustus glanced at her and replied coldly, ¡°Go to my house!¡± This short sentence could easily arouse suspicion. Even Gerald¡¯s jaw dropped. Madeline made her thoughts clear. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me to marry you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re crazy. Who wants you to marry me? I want you to move into my house from today onwards and take on the responsibility of taking care of Hugo. Anyway, Aurora is in the same school and class as him, so it¡¯s easier to take care of them together.¡± Augustus was used to instructing people, so he spoke casually. He had no idea how Madeline felt. She hated this family. How could she move in? ¡®The more she wanted to keep a distance from the Astor Family, the more she got pulled in. Madeline felt that God was joking with her. Augustus added. ¡°Also, your situation is a little dangerous. Are you sure you want to live with your child like this? Come to my house first. I will arrange for someone to investigate this matter.¡± The mall wasn¡¯t open for business yet, so the surveillance cameras hadn¡¯t been activated. There were no records of what happened that day, and the surveillance cameras nearby had also been destroyed. Hearing this, Madeline was a little tempted. It was indeed as he said, she was currently facing some small problems. Of course, she had a suspect in mind, and that was Courtney. This woman didn¡¯t successfully kill her five years ago. Now that she saw her getting close to Augustus, she must have been desperate. Fine then, she would just move in brazenly and let that woman suffer. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll listen to your arrangement and move in with Aurora first.¡± Augustus immediately asked someone to arrange for Madeline to stay in the hospital for the day before she returned to the Astor mansion. As for Aurora, when she found out that her mother was sick, she obediently followed Hugo back after school. Madeline realized that her crazy daughter seemed to have returned to normal after spending time with Hugo. Augustus wanted his son to follow her because he wanted to change his personality. However, she gradually realized that Aurora was also changing. After moving into the Astor residence, many people said that Madeline was his mistress, and even gave birth to a daughter for him. Because these two children looked close to fifty percent similar, and were so close to each other, it was no wonder why others would misunderstand their relationship. However, as Augustus had casts on both his arms, he needed someone to feed him when he was at home. ¡°Come, open your mouth and eat slowly!¡± Madeline naturally took on this responsibility. Of course, this was the result of Augustus calling himself her ¡®savior¡¯. Anyway, this was how she fed her daughter back then. She just treated it as raising an older son. ¡®The two children on the opposite side watched with great interest, especially Hugo. He had successfully brought his mother back. Hugo¡¯s childish voice sounded. ¡°Mommy, you have to sleep with Daddy later. He can¡¯t take off his clothes by himself, can¡¯t shower by himself, and can¡¯t cover himself with a blanket. You have to help him, alright?¡± Chapter 22 - Stumbling Block Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline had been tricked and pushed down from the third floor of the mall by someone else. It was all thanks to Augustus, the heir of the city¡¯s greatest family, that she was safe. In the end, this person shamelessly claimed to be her savior to make her and her daughter move into the Astor mansion. Just to take care of him! Originally, it was fine for her to move in, but the two children always wanted to matchmake them both, making Madeline feel extremely awkward. This was especially so with Hugo. From the day she moved in, he had been carrying out his goal of making Madeline his mother. Now that he said these silly words, Madeline could only grit her teeth and reply, ¡°Hugo, hurry up and eat. Be careful you don¡¯t choke.¡± Hugo couldn¡¯t understand her implied meaning. Aurora, who was behind them, acted as the interpreter. ¡°Hugo, Mom is praising you. Keep up the good work.¡± Madeline shot Aurora a murderous look, which shocked her so much that she lowered her head obediently to eat. Then, she muttered to herself, ¡°I¡¯m so young, but I still have to bear everything alone. This is so difficult.¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone at the table could hear her. Augustus couldn¡¯t help but glance at her. How did Madeline manage to raise such a strong daughter? Madeline was feeling rather helpless. She could only force a smile and explain. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding!¡± After dinner, Hugo boldly dragged Madeline to her room. She initially thought that the Astor family had prepared this for her. When she saw the presidential suite-like room, her eyes widened. ¡°You guys are too polite, giving us such VIP treatment!¡± Before Madeline could say anything else, an unfriendly voice was heard from the door. ¡°Your room is across the hall. Hugo, do you have to force me to punish you? Don¡¯t you know that my room is forbidden? No one is allowed in.¡± It turned out that this was Augustus¡¯ room. No wonder there was a special smell in here, an annoying smell! However, Hugo explained logically. ¡°Daddy and Mommy should sleep together in the first place. Also, Daddy, both of your arms are in a cast. Who is going to take off your clothes for you, who will brush your teeth later, and who will take care of you?¡± After Hugo finished speaking, the whole family looked at Madeline, who was still in a daze. In the end, Aurora added. ¡°Congratulations, Miss West. You¡¯ve hit the jackpot!¡± Madeline turned to look at the person in question with a smile. ¡°Mr. Astor, what do you think? Do you really need me to serve you like these two little ones said?¡± Madeline had thought it through in her mind. If he really dared to nod his head, she would make use of this chance to beat him up. He couldn¡¯t fight back anyway. At the most, she would continue to take care of him in the future. No matter what, she had to vent this anger. It turned out that she was worrying too early. Augustus replied coldly, ¡°You aren¡¯t at the stage where you can enter my room at will. Don¡¯t even think about climbing into my bed.¡± ¡®As soon as he said this, Madeline practically bowed to him. ¡°Nicely said. Mr. Astor, there¡¯s something that I can finally respect you for. Continue to maintain your cold attitude and pride. Don¡¯t make me look down on you.¡± With that, she turned around and grabbed Aurora. Afraid that Augustus would go back on his word, she ran out of the room. Hugo, who was about to give chase, was stopped. ¡°Hugo, don¡¯t go overboard. I¡¯ve already brought this person back home for you. You should know when to stop. Also, this woman isn¡¯t my type.¡± Madeline was too difficult to control and her manners were too uncouth. She was worlds apart from Augustus, who hailed from the aristocratic Astor family. Moreover, she was an extremely scheming woman who was full of lies. She was never within his consideration. However, Hugo said aggrievedly, ¡°But my mother is my type.¡± Augustus had no idea that his son liked scheming women. However, as he thought about how cheerful Hugo had become, he wasn¡¯t bothered by it. Madeline felt like she was in a dream, spending the night in the Astor mansion. Although she hated this man, she was still very grateful to him for saving her life, so she had to repay him. However, she was still thinking about what happened yesterday. That phone number was registered under someone else¡¯s identity. Now that she had found the owner, she found out that the owner had lost his identification, so it had nothing to do with him. She also investigated that shopping mall, but couldn¡¯t find any clues as to who wanted to harm her. Could it really be Courtney? Speak of the devil. When they were having breakfast together in the morning, Courtney arrived with bags of food, but was met with the sight of Madeline feeding Augustus breakfast. That¡¯s right, Madeline was feeding him personally! Usually, he would scold her whenever she got close to him. But now, this woman was so close to him and was even feeding him personally. This was really unprecedented. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Augustus had always been cold and aloof. If he hadn¡¯t been worried that his son would be mentally unstable, he would have forbidden this woman from entering the Astor family¡¯s home. Courtney put on a fake smile and asked awkwardly, ¡°Of course I¡¯m here to visit Hugo, but why are they here?¡± Augustus replied coldly, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be asking this question. Do you think you have the right to question me?¡± ¡®These words simply crushed Courtney under his feet, and her heart was like a volcano erupting. Madeline saw that Courtney¡¯s eyes were about to pop out of her head, which showed how angry she was. Hence, she deliberately wiped Augustus¡¯ mouth and said affectionately, ¡°Look at the corners of your mouth. You eat like a child.¡± Madeline even leaned forward, showing Courtney that she could easily get what the latter tried so hard to but still couldn¡¯t get. However, she did not care for it! Courtney was about to go crazy. She gritted her teeth and stepped forward, looking at Augustus¡¯ plastered hands and said with concern, ¡°I heard that you were injured, so I bought some food for you. I thought that it would be inconvenient for you as well, so I wanted to move in here to take care of you and accompany Hugo.¡± Courtney had to take action. Otherwise, she would be giving Augustus to Madeline. Before Augustus could object, Hugo spoke first. ¡°I don¡¯t want a bad woman like you to stay here. Leave.¡± Courtney really didn¡¯t know how she had offended this brat. She had always been very good to him, so he should at least be closer to her. Instead, he kept calling her a bad woman. Those who didn¡¯t know better would think that she had abused him in private. Originally, she had spared his life in order to marry into the Astor family. Now, he had become her stumbling block. Thus, she could only get rid of this brat. Augustus couldn¡¯t bear to watch this any longer. ¡°Hugo, she is your biological mother after all. Be polite to her. What you are saying now makes you look ill-mannered..¡± Chapter 23 - Making up Her Mind Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Although Augustus didn¡¯t like Courtney, she was Hugo¡¯s mother, so he still had to behave properly. Furthermore, the Astor family was very strict in educating their children. How could they allow him to yell at his family? But now that Hugo had his mother by his side, he didn¡¯t take Augustus¡¯ words seriously at all. He continued speaking, ¡°She¡¯s the one without manners. She came here to ruin our family reunion. She¡¯s a bad person.¡± Hearing this, Aurora also started to cheer for him. She chuckled and said, ¡°Hugo, I think you look so dashing today. This woman doesn¡¯t look like a good person at first glance, yet she still wants to get close to you. We were born from the same mother. It has nothing to do with her.¡± It was just a joke from Aurora, but it scared Courtney so much that she almost lost her balance. It had to be known that this little thing was telling the truth. Courtney was already very embarrassed to be berated by a little brat like this. In the end, an even more hateful beast had appeared. She now regretted not strangling that girl to death back then. ¡°Who instigated you to talk about me like this? Augustus, look at Hugo. If you don¡¯t discipline him, others will think he¡¯s a wild child who won¡¯t even acknowledge his own mother.¡± She always had to put up a strong stance. Courtney knew that the Astor family¡¯s upbringing was strict, so she could say such things. ¡®As expected, Augustus¡¯ face fell. He looked at Hugo sternly, and his eyes were filled with reproach. It wasn¡¯t something a child of his age could withstand. Madeline looked at this situation, and her heart ached. She stood up to block his line of sight and changed the topic. ¡°The children are almost done eating. The school bus is coming, so I¡¯ll bring them to their rooms to get ready.¡± After saying that, Madeline held one child¡¯s hand in each hand and disappeared from Courtney¡¯s sight. Why couldn¡¯t she do it? In the past, she used so many methods to please Hugo, but he refused to get close to her. What exactly did this woman do? ¡®Was it really the case that blood was thicker than water? ¡°Augustus, can you consider what I said? After all, I¡¯m Hugo¡¯s mother. Even if he doesn¡¯t like me, I want to teach him well.¡± Augustus detested this vain woman who acted like a good wife and mother. ¡°Those in subordinate positions will follow the example set by their superiors. It¡¯s better to set your attitude straight first!¡± He rejected her request coldly and did not even look her in the eye, maintaining a nonchalant attitude all this time. Courtney gripped the hem of her dress tightly. None of the helpers dared to take the bags from her. This was the greatest humiliation Augustus had given her. In the end, one of the helpers had to politely ask Courtney to leave, before she reluctantly left. After leaving the Astor family, she picked up her phone and called Shane. ¡°Shane, I remember that your sister works at BELLA as the designer¡¯s assistant, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s the matter? Do you want to order some outfits? As long as you ask, I can do anything for you.¡± Courtney smiled smugly. She remembered that Madeline had been designing a few sets of clothes for Mrs. Astor recently. This woman had been called the world¡¯s top designer. Furthermore, she was at a level where people couldn¡¯t hire her even if they wanted to. If such a designer was suspected of plagiarism, then there would be a good show to watch. In addition, aside from Mrs. Lewis¡¯ banquet, the other reason Mrs. Astor wanted Willow to design her outfits was because she had to attend a very grand school celebration, where she had been invited to give a speech and act as the school¡¯s ambassador. Otherwise, how could she hold her temper down and hire Willow when she knew that Willow was Madeline? That was because Mrs. Astor only wanted to make use of Willow¡¯s reputation. She had to admit, the clothes that she designed were indeed one of a kind. ¡°Very good. I have something very important for you to help me with. Since you love me so much, you can definitely convince your sister.¡± Shane had long been bewitched by Courtney, so he immediately agreed. ¡°Courtney, what do you want?¡± ¡°I want Willow¡¯s latest design draft. You have to be fast. I want to get it before she releases the draft.¡± As long as she got it first, she would be able to make further plans. Since this woman dared to come back, she had to be prepared to kill her again. Shane would definitely agree. In addition, his sister doted on him, so she would definitely help him. Thus, this matter was easily settled. At night, Courtney received a few design drafts with Willow¡¯s signature on them. The clothes designed for Mrs. Astor were indeed outstanding and dignified. She didn¡¯t know how this trash had gotten to where she was today or how she had acquired such amazing abilities. And what exactly happened five years ago that allowed her to survive? Courtney was also looking for the nurse at that time, but she still couldn¡¯t find her. It was as if she had disappeared into thin air. Courtney took out her phone smugly and found BELLA¡¯s largest competitor, HOPE. The designer at HOPE was Courtney¡¯s senior, Michelle. In the past, the two of them met up frequently, and now, she really needed to enlist her help. Courtney personally asked her out and placed these design drafts in front of her. ¡°Michelle, what do you think of the design drafts I prepared for you? I remember that your company is preparing a new fashion press conference. This should be able to help you.¡± Michelle was quite well-known in the country, and she graduated from a famous school. She was definitely better than Madeline in all aspects. However, in the past two years, Willow had appeared out of nowhere and won many design awards, stealing the accolades that Michelle should have gotten. Michelle must be fuming inside. When Michelle saw these unique design drafts, she was shocked. ¡°Who drew these? Regardless of the style or design, they are all very outstanding. They can be said to be the best of the best.¡± When she saw these design drafts, Michelle felt that she was inferior to the owner of these design drafts. Courtney said, ¡°These are the latest dresses that Willow designed for Mrs. Astor. I asked someone to steal them. Since she hasn¡¯t published or revealed them, they can be yours.¡± She was very shocked to hear that they were drawn by Willow. Furthermore, Courtney wanted her to pass off Willow¡¯s designs as her own. This made her even angrier. ¡°Ladmit that these drafts are very outstanding, but ever since I started on this path, I¡¯ve never done anything that violates professional ethics.¡± Michelle rejected her angrily, but her eyes were still on the drafts. She just wanted to win over Willow so badly that her inner demon was playing tricks on her. Courtney naturally understood what kind of person this senior was. At the same time, she also understood what it meant by birds of a feather flocking together. She was clear about Michelle¡¯s character. And Michelle had never refused to meet her, so how noble and pure was she? Chapter 24 - Two Cuties Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations If it wasn¡¯t because she was confident, Courtney wouldn¡¯t have asked her out. Moreover, if the designs came from someone else, perhaps it would draw some doubts. After all, the designs were fantastic. However, if it came from the top designer, Michelle, the situation would naturally be different. ¡°Michelle, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. I didn¡¯t ask you to use this design draft. I just thought that you could reference it. Fashion design requires inspiration. You can take it back and think about it.¡± Courtney didn¡¯t know whether Michelle had plagiarized before, but she knew that Michelle really wanted these drafts right now. After listening to Courtney, Michelle, who had spoken righteously previously, silently stretched out her hand and placed all the design drafts into her bag, even though she said she didn¡¯t want them. ¡®These were Willow¡¯s design drafts, and punishing her was a good thing. ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone about this. This implicates my personal credibility, including my future career as a designer. If anything happens to me because of this, you will suffer too.¡± ¡°Michelle, you can rest assured. The fact that I am able to bring this to you with my own hands bears witness to my sincerity.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m curious. You seem to hate this Willow. What¡¯s the grudge between you two?¡± Courtney thought for a moment and said, ¡°Probably the same reason why you hate her; because she stole what I wanted.¡± Courtney knew that Michelle wanted the title of the most outstanding designer in the country, and what she wanted¡­ was Augustus. ¡®When Michelle heard this, she was very satisfied. She stretched out her hand and smiled. ¡°In that case, we can work together for a long time in the future. Also, do you know the true appearance of this mysterious woman?¡± ¡®Willow was the most mysterious person in the industry. Even when she was presented with awards, her assistant would always be the one making an appearance. Hence, everyone in the industry was curious about her looks. Moreover, she had always kept a low profile and seldom participated in gatherings, so almost no one had interacted with her. Madeline naturally couldn¡¯t appear publicly. Otherwise, if Courtney, this vicious person, knew that she was still alive, she would definitely hurt her. In order to protect her daughter and herself, Madeline never revealed her real name to anyone. Now that Courtney had bumped into her, she knew that her identity would be exposed sooner or later. Courtney sent news about Madeline to Michelle, but she couldn¡¯t find out anything about what happened to Madeline over the past five years. She didn¡¯t know if there was someone who was helping this woman behind the scenes or not. ¡°Courtney, I won¡¯t disappoint you. Just wait and see. Also, this year¡¯s Best Fashion Design Award will definitely be mine.¡± ¡°I look forward to your masterpiece, Michelle.¡± Madeline had been busy designing for Mrs. Astor these past few days. After she was done, she still had to wait on Agustus when she returned home. It seemed as though this father and mother pair were working together to harm her. If this wasn¡¯t arranged by the headquarters, Madeline would never have accepted this job designing Mrs. Astor¡¯s clothes. The only thing that comforted her was that every day when she returned home, she would see Aurora being accompanied by Hugo. Although she knew that her daughter was cheerful, how strong and cheerful could a five-year-old girl constantly be? This child needed someone to keep her company and take care of her too. For the sake of her daughter, she had to give up some things. ¡°Mommy is back!¡± the two cuties said in unison and ran towards Madeline. Augustus was speechless at their behavior because these two brats looked disappointed whenever they saw him, yet they were so enthusiastic at the sight of Madeline. It was fine because Aurora was her daughter, but Hugo was his son after all. Wasn¡¯t this a little too much? Madeline was also getting used to bringing double portions back for the two children. She took out two pieces of cake and said, ¡°Look what Mommy brought for you.¡± The two children stood in front of her expectantly, completely melting Madeline¡¯s heart. Although her days here were a little depressing, she was still happy. She didn¡¯t have to worry about her daughter not having anyone to accompany her after school, and most importantly, she did not have to worry about her being lonely in school. Although Augustus was despicable, he was still useful. ¡°Didn¡¯t you buy me a share?¡± Augustus was merely venting his frustration. Madeline had never looked at him properly ever since she had entered the house. Her eyes were locked on the two children, ignoring him, the head of the family. Madeline shot him a disdainful look. ¡°Can you be more mature? This cake is for the children. Are you going to eat it too?¡± ¡®Where did this woman get the impression that he wanted to eat the cake? Didn¡¯t she understand that he was just feeling unhappy? In the end, seeing how unhappy he was, Madeline could only take out a piece of chocolate from her bag; she unwrapped it and placed it near his mouth. ¡°Just eat this. Also, when will your hands recover?¡± What she meant was that she wanted to leave the Astor mansion. ¡®What was wrong with him? Why did this woman always look like she wanted to escape from him? ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that broken bones take at least three months to heal?¡± Madeline was a little speechless. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that fractures are easy to recover from? It won¡¯t take three months.¡± ¡°am I bargaining with you for a few months? If you don¡¯t want to take care of your savior and want to be an ungrateful person, I have no objections.¡± Augustus had never complained, so when he said this, it sounded very unlike him. Madeline was dumbfounded. What did she say wrong? Why did he have to talk about her like that? It wasn¡¯t that she was ungrateful; she was just asking a few questions. ¡°Tm sorry. Pretend I didn¡¯t say anything just now. I was wrong. I¡¯ll definitely take care of you here until you¡¯ve fully recovered. Are you satisfied now, Mr. Astor?¡± ¡°That¡¯s more like it His tone was cold, but his eyebrows were raised. This was a proud expression, which made Madeline unsure whether she should laugh or cry. As the two little cuties saw their parents interacting with each other, they could not help but burst into laughter. ¡°It¡¯s still Daddy who can subdue Mommy. Their relationship as a husband and wife needs to improve faster.¡± Hugo was eager for the two of them to get married. Aurora chimed in. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just spouting nonsense? If Dad wasn¡¯t so powerful, we wouldn¡¯t be here!¡± ¡°Cough cough!¡± These innocent words almost made the two adults choke on their own saliva. Of course, the person Madeline couldn¡¯t figure out the most was still Aurora. This daughter of hers was too mature. How could she say such nonsense? Madeline decided that she had to start over with her daughter and teach her properly, so that she won¡¯t say such things again in the future.. Chapter 25 - President Astors Little Scheme Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Finally, Aurora was brought back to the room that belonged to the mother and daughter. Then, Madeline chased Hugo out. ¡°Aurora, I think you¡¯ve matured too much recently.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you don¡¯t know how to grow up, Mommy. That¡¯s why I must grow up quickly to protect you.¡± Madeline didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry when she heard this. How on earth did she manage to raise her daughter to become like this? Besides Aurora¡¯s cute and obedient face, there was also her height to remind her that she was still a child. Otherwise, she would be worried that there was an adult living in her daughter¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mommy. At least I¡¯m smarter than you. Seeing how shy you are, I¡¯ll help you from now on. By that time, you can enter Daddy¡¯s room as you please and won¡¯t be chased out.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t take it anymore and pinched her ear. ¡°When did you see me acting shy? When did you become smarter than me? Also, when did you see me being chased out? If you don¡¯t know how to talk, then shut up.¡± ¡°See, every time you can¡¯t out-talk me, you get angry. Since you¡¯re so angry, just hit me if you want to!¡± But now, with Aurora¡¯s pitiful look that matched Augustus¡¯, it seemed like the father-daughter pair were really the same. They had Madeline in their grasp. In order to show that she was really not angry, Madeline could only let go of Aurora¡¯s ear. Then, she held her daughter in her arms and explained all kinds of principles to her. In the end, Aurora fell asleep without even hearing five sentences. Madeline shook her head helplessly. Ironically, she had found a good way to get Aurora to fall asleep quickly. ¡®The next morning, when Madeline brought Aurora to the dining table, Augustus and his son were already waiting for them. Hugo¡¯s originally lifeless face blossomed when he saw Madeline. He jumped off the chair and ran forward to hug her. ¡°Mommy, I miss you so much!¡± Augustus was puzzled. Why was Hugo so close to this woman? He had been at odds with Courtney since he was young, so he couldn¡¯t understand why he treated Madeline differently. Augustus coughed twice and glanced at his watch. ¡°You have to be at the dining table before eight in the morning. We¡¯ve already waited for twenty minutes today.¡± Madeline gave him a resentful look, then walked over with the two little ones. He hadn¡¯t told them about this beforehand, so who could he blame? After the two children sat down, Madeline started to prepare to serve this man again, and she forced herself to put on a smile. ¡°L recall that you¡¯re going back to the hospital for a follow-up today. Let me accompany you.¡± Augustus paused for a moment before he shook his head. ¡°Gerald will accompany me. You should go to work.¡± ¡°Tm just very concerned about your situation, so I want to go with you. I also want to know more about the subsequent care for your wounds.¡± If she were to find out more, she might move out. Hence, Augustus wouldn¡¯t give her the chance. ¡°I¡¯m not used to being accompanied by outsiders!¡± He could only use such cold words to reject her good intentions. Madeline¡¯s enthusiasm was extinguished by his cold attitude, and she could not be bothered with him anymore. After sending the two children away, Madeline returned to work. However, she had no idea that after she left, Augustus, who was supposed to be seriously injured, could actually use his hand to call Gerald. ¡°Come and pick me up in half an hour!¡± Gerald personally sent him to the hospital for a checkup. Augustus was a martial arts practitioner, so he had suffered from all sorts of injuries from a young age. Although he had been injured when he had saved Madeline, it wasn¡¯t so serious that it would take him months to recover. After the report was out, Gerald was all smiles. ¡°Congratulations, President Astor. Your hands are recovering very quickly. You can already do some daily tasks.¡± However, there was no smile on Augustus¡¯s face. Instead, he said sternly, ¡°You¡¯re wrong. My condition has worsened.¡± Gearld was confused. He took out the report and placed it in front of Augustus. ¡°That¡¯s not right, President Astor. Just now, the doctor also said that as long as you continue your massage exercises, you will recover completely in a week.¡± Augustus stared at him with a look of disappointment before he said slowly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know how to read people¡¯s minds and in-between the lines? Or do you want me to go back and personally chase the mother and daughter pair out?¡± Gerald¡¯s mouth formed an ¡®O¡¯ shape. It turned out that President Astor was worried about Madeline and Aurora. Although he didn¡¯t know why President Astor suddenly favored these two people who appeared out of nowhere. In any case, this was a good thing. At least he didn¡¯t have that cold expression on his face anymore. ¡°Lunderstand, President Astor. Your condition has worsened. From now on, you need to be taken care of more carefully. I deeply sympathize with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the way to go!¡± As he spoke, Augustus wrapped another layer around his bandages to make it look more serious. In the past, Augustus had never taken anyone seriously. Now, he had to use his own injuries to gain sympathy. Gerald was flabbergasted. ¡®When Madeline returned at night, she saw Augustus sitting on the couch with a sullen expression. She glanced at the two children, who were doing their homework, and walked over to Augustus. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are the results not good?¡± Augustus sighed. ¡°The doctor said that my condition has worsened. I will go for a checkup again next week. I can¡¯t do anything now.¡± Thinking that it was all because of her, Madeline couldn¡¯t help but frown. She had always been the most responsible person, so naturally she felt guilty. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I said I¡¯ll take care of you until you recover.¡± ¡°What if I never recover?¡± Madeline thought for a while and said awkwardly, ¡°At the most, I¡¯ll just continue to take care of you. Anyways, I can freeload at your house, and Aurora can go to school for free at the same time. It doesn¡¯t seem like a bad thing.¡± Augustus was secretly delighted, but he feigned calmness and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s settled then. I want to drink coffee, so you can grind the beans for me now.¡± Although she was extremely unwilling, she could only do as he said since he was in a bad mood. She continued to feed him during dinner. This feeling drove Madeline crazy, but she suppressed it. Augustus had always liked obedient women, so this could be considered a form of training. Once this woman had gotten used to everything and could no longer leave him, she would be at his beck and call. Madeline was supposed to deliver the clothes in two days. When she saw the exquisite clothes, she was delighted and immediately asked someone to send them to Mrs. Astor¡¯s luxurious villa. Madeline, who originally thought that she would be able to have a good rest after completing her work, suddenly received very bad news. It was that Mrs. Astor had flown into a rage after receiving the clothes she had sent over. ¡®There were even rumors that she had cut the clothes into pieces on the spot because the design of the outfits were suspected to have been plagiarized. Chapter 26 - Framed Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Hearing this piece of news, Madeline was very shocked. If the other party said she didn¡¯t like her clothes, that was understandable. After all, everyone had different preferences. However, Madeline would never admit that her clothes were plagiarizing someone else¡¯s work. She immediately drove over to Mrs. Astor¡¯s villa. When she arrived, she could still hear the sounds of cursing coming from inside. At the same time, there was also the sound of that b*tch, Courtney, fanning the flames. ¡°Mom, my sister has always been a sneaky person from a young age. She had even plagiarized other people¡¯s essays when she was studying. How can such a person have any integrity and claim that she¡¯s Willow? I think there must be a misunderstanding.¡± Mrs. Astor flew into a rage. ¡°This is too much! I¡¯m going to attend a banquet tonight, and another set is what I intended to wear to my alma mater tomorrow. I even boasted that Willow personally customized a few sets of clothes for me. I didn¡¯t expect them to be plagiarized.¡± In such noble circles, competition was like bread and butter. They loved comparing with one another, especially when it came to clothes and accessories, with the aim of suppressing one another. And Willow¡¯s reputation was a means for these rich ladies to show off. Anyone who wanted her to design an outfit might have to wait for months. Willow acted on how she felt and people like her with a certain level of fame would like to act on their own whims. It was precisely because of this that the clothes she designed were so precious. And now, Mrs. Astor wanted to make use of this opportunity to make a name for herself. Yet, the clothes she received were all copied from the famous designer, Michelle. This naturally made Mrs. Astor angry. ¡°You¡¯re right. When I first saw this woman, I already felt that she didn¡¯t look like Willow. I really didn¡¯t expect her to be so shameless as to impersonate Willow, let alone plagiarize.¡± Mrs. Astor¡¯s arrogance could eat a person alive. When Madeline walked in, she saw that the clothes she had spent so much effort designing were cut into pieces and discarded on the ground. This feeling was no different from hurting her own child. ¡°You still have the cheek to come here? Let me ask you, are you Willow or not? And why are these clothes designed by you exactly the same as those designed by the designer, Michelle?¡± Madeline frowned. ¡°Exactly the same?¡± Even if there were similar clothes, it could only mean that some designers were inspired by the same theme. However, if it was exactly the same, then it was a little strange. The reputation that Madeline had built up over the past two years was not for nothing. Mrs. Astor asked Courtney to show her the photos they had found online. This was a work published in a fashion magazine by Michelle two days ago, and the finished products were also featured. These designs were exactly the same, and what made Madeline feel even more strange was that even the colors were similar. It seemed as though Madeline had copied the clothes from this magazine. Mrs. Astor scolded her. ¡°A woman like you, who has a child out of wedlock, is a dirty person to begin with. And to think that you still did such an immoral thing. Let me wam you first. If you don¡¯t resolve this matter, I will definitely teach you a lesson. I will also make BELLA lose its reputation in the country.¡± These hurtful words pierced Madeline¡¯s heart. ¡®When she saw that the outcome that she had worked so hard for over the past few nights had already appeared in the magazine, it made her feel even more worse. Madeline shook her head. ¡°There can¡¯t be such a coincidence. These are all my designs. They shouldn¡¯t have appeared in this magazine.¡± Courtney added insult to injury. ¡°Don¡¯t quibble here. If you know what¡¯s good for you, disappear from the city. Don¡¯t stay behind and make a fool of yourself. Moreover, given your plagiarism this time, if Mom wears your clothes, how many people will laugh at her?¡± These words were the key point, and what had made Mrs. Astor the most angry. Because Mrs. Astor was very interested in various fashion magazines, she would look at the latest outfits every day. Courtney naturally knew that she had such a hobby, so she asked Michelle to publish her works there. This way, once the outfits were delivered to Mrs. Astor, she would immediately assume that they were plagiarized. These rich people always had the ability to discern among the designs. ¡°Thinking about this makes me angry. You have to give me an explanation, including your company. You have to give me a satisfactory answer or I won¡¯t let you off easily.¡± When Mrs. Astor thought about how she almost became a laughing stock, the resentment in her heart could burn Madeline to death. Madeline assured her firmly. ¡°Mrs. Astor, I don¡¯t know what happened during the production process, but I can assure you that this is definitely my work. It must have been stolen during the creation process.¡± ¡°Now that I¡¯ve discovered your actions, you can¡¯t brush me off. I don¡¯t believe you. If you¡¯re really Willow, I¡¯l ruin your reputation. Also, you have to compensate for my loss this time. Just wait for your punishment. Get out of my house now. I don¡¯t want to see you!¡± Mrs. Astor was truly furious, especially since she had already boasted about it, but was slapped in the face. How could she not be angry? Courtney knew that no matter what she did to Madeline, Mrs. Astor would feel that it was right. Hence, Courtney stepped forward and gave her a hard push. ¡°Mom has already asked you to get lost. Why are you still shamelessly staying here? You¡¯re such a despicable woman, and now you want to find a rich father for your daughter, so much so that you are shamelessly staying at Augustus¡¯ place.¡± Mrs. Astor¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°Courtney, what did you say? Who is living with Augustus?¡± Courtney wanted to make use of this opportunity to punish Madeline, or even better, chase her out. Courtney emphasized boldly. ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t know what tricks this woman used. In order to let her daughter attend the Astor Corporation¡¯s kindergarten for free, not only did she move into Augustus¡¯ house, she even fed him everyday to gain his favor. I wanted to go visit him, but was chased out.¡± Mrs. Astor, who was originally in a fit of anger, would definitely be even angrier when she heard these words. Furthermore, what Courtney implied was that Madeline was a woman who would do anything for money. Now that she used such plagiarized work to fool her, she would definitely be even angrier. ¡°You shameless woman, take your little b*tch daughter and get out of the Astor mansion.¡± Mrs. Astor¡¯s sharp words triggered Madeline¡¯s anger. She was responsible for this matter, so Madeline didn¡¯t have any objections if she wanted to scold her. However, insulting Aurora hit Madeline¡¯s bottomline. ¡°Only those who are filthy and despicable in their hearts would say such shameless words. No matter how noble some people are or how gorgeous their appearances are, it can¡¯t hide the stench of evil.¡± Chapter 27 - Very Conflicted Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations If it weren¡¯t for Aurora, Madeline would never have said anything hurtful because the motto of the company was that customers were always right. Besides, it was beneath her status to argue with others. However, her daughter was her bottomline. No one could touch her. Mrs. Astor was so angry that she almost vomited blood. She said to Courtney, ¡°Kick this arrogant woman out. Don¡¯t let me see her again.¡± With Mrs. Astor¡¯s permission, Courtney definitely had to perform well. She signaled to the two servants behind her with her eyes, telling them to catch Madeline. However, just as the two of them moved forward, Madeline flipped one over her shoulder and threw him to the ground, after which she also kicked the other one to the ground. Initially, she did not want to make a move. However, these people had gone overboard, so she could not be blamed for being heartless. Courtney¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°You are trained?¡± Just as she finished speaking, Madeline¡¯s hand had already landed on her neck and lifted her up. The seemingly weak Madeline now had such powerful strength. She was able to lift people of the same weight off the ground. That was a force that could not be underestimated. That day at the mall, she was worried about her daughter, and was later ambushed, hence she was powerless to resist. If it was a direct confrontation, how could anyone be her match? ¡°Courtney, listen to me. I¡¯m not the same person that you could easily bully back then. If you dare to point fingers at me again and sow discord, I¡¯ll let you die.¡± ¡°Cough, cough, you¡­ I know my mistakes. Put me down.¡± Madeline then threw her to the ground and said coldly, ¡°You have a child too. It¡¯s good for you to accumulate some good karma.¡± After saying that, Madeline didn¡¯t bother staying to solve the plagiarism issue. She just wanted to go back and investigate who had harmed her. When Mrs. Astor saw her erupt, she didn¡¯t dare to make a sound the entire time. She had never seen a woman so domineering. After Madeline left, Mrs. Astor finally came back to her senses. She pointed at Madeline¡¯s departing figure and shouted in exasperation, ¡°This is too much! How dare you treat me like this?!¡± Mrs. Astor then got someone to file a complaint and insisted on blacklisting Willow. After Madeline returned, she immediately called for an emergency meeting to investigate the design theft. Because Mrs. Astor¡¯s identity in the capital was not to be underestimated, her complaint would definitely cause a commotion. Madeline¡¯s explanation to the headquarters was that she was framed. ¡°Willow, our company definitely trusts your ability and believes that you won¡¯t ever plagiarize. However, your attitude towards guests is taboo. Although this set of designs have failed, you still have two outfits that you were going to use for a competition, use them to solve the crisis at hand first.¡± The person who spoke was Pamela of BELLA¡¯s US branch. Now that such a serious problem had occurred, the higher-ups had to step in to suppress it. If Mrs. Astor still refused to let this matter go, it would definitely affect their company greatly. At the same time, Madeline¡¯s reputation would be greatly damaged, which would be a huge blow to both the company and her. Madeline nodded helplessly. She didn¡¯t want to blow things up, but she really couldn¡¯t hold herself back at that time. ¡°Twas too impulsive this time. I am willing to listen to the headquarters¡¯ arrangements!¡± After receiving her approval, Pamela immediately brought along the two sets of clothes, the initial drafts that Willow had drawn for Mrs. Astor, as well as the design records on her computer, to personally apologize and explain. ¡®When Pamela arrived at Mrs. Astor¡¯s villa, the latter¡¯s anger had yet to dissipate and her attitude was clear. ¡°Twon¡¯t forgive her even if she kneels down.¡± However, Pamela placed these two latest designs in front of her, causing Mrs. Astor, who was passionate about fashion, to light up. Pamela asked her assistant to show Mrs. Astor some of the documents she had brought. ¡°Mrs. Astor, this situation arose because of a problem within the company. Someone leaked Willow¡¯s drafts. From here, you can clearly see the initial drafts, including the colors of the various materials, all listed here. You understand fashion too, so you should be able to tell how much effort Willow put in.¡± Mrs. Astor looked through the materials shown by Pamela¡¯s assistant. They outlined how Madeline had started designing after Mrs. Astor gave her requirements. They included the changes in every stage; these were not things that could be forged. In the end, Mrs. Astor asked again, ¡°Is Madeline really Willow? Did she really draw all these?¡± Pamela firmly guaranteed. ¡°Mrs. Astor, we can assure you that she is definitely BELLA¡¯s top designer, Willow. Furthermore, these two sets of clothes that I have brought for you are our company¡¯s latest mystery product that we intend to launch this year. We will give them to you now.¡± In order to appease Mrs. Astor¡¯s anger, the headquarters could only use this method to appease her. When Mrs. Astor heard these words, there was no longer any anger on her face. She was even more elated. Firstly, she was suspicious of the plagiarism incident. Secondly, she was attracted by the two pieces of clothing. It had to be known that the first new product that BELLA released every year was something that was one of a kind, and not something that could be bought with money. But now, she was getting them for free. Their sincerity was obvious. ¡°Is she really giving it to me for free? After all, these are new products that she designed.¡± Pamela nodded with certainty. ¡°We can¡¯t possibly use such a thing to deceive you. Furthermore, I¡¯ve brought a stylist with me, since I know that you will be attending a grand banquet tonight. Mrs. Astor, we¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll appear beautifully. I believe that tomorrow¡¯s fashion headlines will be about you.¡± ¡®When Mrs. Astor thought about this, her heart was already blooming. If she really wore the garments, she would definitely be the most outstanding person tonight. Moreover, this dress was so exquisite that it would definitely be the topic of discussion among the nobles tomorrow. It was very attractive. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll give it a try!¡± The stylist personally helped her change into the dress and it instantly made her look even more noble and elegant. Coupled with the change in her hairstyle, Mrs. Astor instantly looked ten years younger. Even Mrs. Astor couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration when she saw herself in the mirror. The servants behind her couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her. It was clear how perfect she looked. ¡°This is really amazing. Willow really lives up to her name. Her clothes elevate their wearers.¡± Seeing how happy she was, Pamela took the opportunity to say, ¡°This is the most sincere apology from Willow. Mrs. Astor, please be magnanimous and cancel the complaint. Then these two sets of clothes will be yours!¡± Pamela could see the reluctance and greed on Mrs. Astor¡¯s face. Especially after she put on this dress, she definitely couldn¡¯t bear to take it off. Mrs. Astor was a little conflicted.. She originally swore that she would never forgive this hateful woman no matter what, but. Chapter 28 - Completely Disregarding Him Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Originally, Mrs. Astor had made up her mind that no matter what they did, she would never forgive Madeline for her disrespectful behavior. Especially since she had turned violent at her house. If she forgave her so easily, wouldn¡¯t it be letting her off too easily? However, how could she bear to take off this dress? She would definitely be the center of attention tonight by wearing it. Moreover, she had to go back to her alma mater as the spokesperson tomorrow. If she wore that gorgeous suit, she would look even better, and it would improve her reputation even more. Pamela naturally understood what she was thinking, and she couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Of course, if Mrs. Astor is still unhappy, we can only report it to the headquarters and punish Willow. After all, we must ensure our distinguished customers are satisfied too.¡± Mrs. Astor was gratified to hear that everything was planned with her in mind. It appeased her greatly. Together with the makeover from the make-up artist, all her anger was gone. ¡°Tm not that kind of petty person. Now that I¡¯ve seen how sincere you are, I¡¯ll let this matter go. As for whether or not Willow plagiarized, I¡¯ll let you settle the matter by yourselves. I just want these two sets of clothes.¡± ¡°Of course. We are deeply sorry for bringing you such a bad experience. We will continue to improve, and we look forward to your support!¡± After solving the problem perfectly, Pamela left with her assistant. After Pamela got into the car, the smile on her face disappeared immediately. Their company had never had such a serious case of plagiarism. Of course, she trusted her own employees. ¡°We¡¯ll start a thorough investigation immediately. From the day Willow started designing these outfits, I¡¯ll need the most detailed information on everyone who¡¯s been in contact with her studio.¡± The assistant immediately nodded. ¡°Understood, Pamela. I will settle it as soon as possible.¡± Fortunately, the President of BELLA had an inseparable relationship with Madeline. Otherwise, they would definitely suspect her. Although Pamela was Madeline¡¯s manager, she was also her most trusted friend in the city. Hence, when Madeline was faced with such a major complaint, she went to handle it quickly. When Madeline returned home at night, she looked lifeless. She had investigated for an entire day, but she couldn¡¯t find any leads, and she felt restless. Usually, Madeline would bring food for the two children when she came back. However, she came back today with a hostile aura that surprised even Augustus. Aurora knew her mother well. When she saw that something was wrong today, she immediately reminded Hugo. ¡°Let me remind you kindly not to provoke that woman tonight. She exudes an evil aura that can kill.¡± Madeline rubbed her temples and looked helplessly at Aurora. ¡°Aurora, I¡¯m not deaf. Your voice is like a loudspeaker. I¡¯m sure everyone in the living room heard you.¡± Hearing this, Aurora immediately looked up. As expected, all the servants in the living room were staring at her. Although it was a little embarrassing, she was still a child, so her skin was thicker. She lowered her head and did her homework. Hugo frowned and didn¡¯t dare speak to his mother. He could only turn to Augustus. ¡°Daddy, can¡¯t you coax your wife? I¡¯ve already brought her back for you. You¡¯ll have to depend on yourself for the rest.¡± Hugo looked at his father in disappointment, which only amused Augustus instead. However, if he really didn¡¯t take action, Hugo would become so anxious that he would cry. Finally, under his son¡¯s pleading gaze, he asked Madeline, ¡°What happened? Why are you frowning?¡± Madeline shook her head. She didn¡¯t want to talk to this person who also irritated her. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood to talk. I¡¯ll go upstairs first. You don¡¯t have to call me down for dinner!¡± And so, she walked away as though she was in her own home and did not even look at him. Augustus felt that this woman had forgotten that he was the head of the family. When Madeline reached the stairs, she suddenly received a call, so she turned around and prepared to leave the house. Augustus couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He strode forward and stopped her. ¡°Hey, are you challenging my authority? Can¡¯t you see that I¡¯m asking you a question?¡± In the end, Madeline didn¡¯t care about him at all. She just said calmly, ¡°My friend is looking for me. I¡¯ll be back later.¡± ¡°What do you take the Astor mansion for? You can¡¯t come and go as you please.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who asked us to move in? Besides, I have something urgent to attend to. We¡¯ll talk later.¡± Madeline then strode out of the house. This was a challenge to Augustus¡¯ authority. No woman in the city would dare to ignore him. However, Madeline did it. And it wasn¡¯t to attract his attention. She really despised him. Augustus felt as though he had been defeated. He raised his head and met the disdainful gazes of the two children. The insult was so strong that it made Augustus furious. In the end, his gaze fell on Hugo. ¡°Your mother has been kidnapped, why are you still in a daze?¡± In other words, since you brought her back, you have to protect her yourself. Hugo might not be good at other things, but he was good at being clingy. Of course, it also depended on who the other party was. His mother was his life! Hugo dashed out like a bolt of lightning, causing Augustus to marvel at how his son could be trained to be an athlete. There was a black sports car parked outside the Astor mansion, and two people were discussing something in the car. ¡°Maddy, I¡¯ll help you find out the culprit behind the plagiarism case. I¡¯ll also make up for your loss, but there are only five days left until the competition. Do you have enough time?¡± Favian was the one who spoke. He had started investigating after learning that Madeline had been framed. He was worried that she would have to bear the consequences this time, so he wanted to share her burden. Madeline said gratefully, ¡°It¡¯s not that serious yet. Since Mrs. Astor didn¡¯t pursue the matter further, I can take my time to find the culprit.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I feel it¡¯s too much of a pity for you to give away the competition pieces that you spent a whole year working on.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that I would be this unlucky and be met with such an incident. It¡¯s already fortunate that I was able to resolve this issue smoothly. As for the competition, it would be best if I can make it in time. If not, I can only wait another year.¡± Madeline had been through countless storms, so she was used to these difficulties and setbacks. To her, being healthy and alive, and having her daughter by her side, was sufficient. Favian felt aggrieved on her behalf, ¡°The current chief designer of HOPE, Michelle, has received a lot of praise from the fashion industry and many big companies. She has made a name for herself. She is most likely going to be the winner of this year¡¯s Best Fashion Design Award..¡± Chapter 29 - You Might Not Be Able to Compensate Me Sufficiently if You Scare Me! Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline was curious about who was behind all these incidents, starting from the time when she was led to the mall and almost killed. And now, her work was being plagiarized. Who knew about this matter? Madeline suddenly remembered that when she met Mrs. Astor to take down her requests for her outfits, Courtney was there too. Could all of this be related to her? ¡°Eavian, you reminded me. As long as I continue to investigate all the people who have met Michelle before she published her work, I¡¯ll definitely find something.¡± ¡°Leave this matter to me. Also, when will you be able to move out of the Astor mansion? I was surprised when I didn¡¯t manage to find you at your house today. Even if you want to repay the favor, you don¡¯t have to stay here.¡± As aman, Favian definitely knew what Augustus was thinking. Why would Madeline need to take care of him? Did the Astor family lack helpers? He just wanted to use this method to make her stay. More likely than not, he already had his eyes on Madeline. Augustus, who had never been close to women in the past, now had a different feeling for Madeline. Favian had to be careful when facing such a formidable opponent. ¡°Eavian, this isn¡¯t simply about repaying the favor. I think that this arrangement is beneficial for Aurora¡¯s growth. Anyway, I know what I¡¯m doing. When the time is right, I will naturally leave.¡± Favian was about to reply when he heard a knock on his car door, startling him. There were many people who would try to scam car owners, but it was rare to find someone who would do so even when they were parked outside someone¡¯s house. Furthermore, when he poked his head out to take a look, he saw that it was a little boy. Madeline quickly opened the car door when she heard the child¡¯s voice. Hugo was lying in front of the car pitifully. He was the one who had knocked on the car. ¡°Hugo, are you alright? Why did you come out?¡± Madeline¡¯s heart ached. Perhaps it was because she had been in contact with him for so long that she now had greater feelings for him. ¡®When she saw him lying on the ground, her first reaction was to hug him and comfort him. ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m fine. I just missed you. When Daddy saw you coming out, he chased me out. If you don¡¯t go back, he won¡¯t let me in. I¡¯m hungry and want to go home for dinner.¡± ¡®When it came to lying, Hugo could be considered to be a pro. Favian wanted to discuss with her about moving out, but now that he saw Hugo, his suggestion was instantly dispelled. ¡°Wait for me to go back and deal with him!¡± Madeline apologized to Favian. ¡°Favian, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me with this troublesome matter. I¡¯ll bring the child in first.¡± Just as Madeline tured around, Favian suddenly said, ¡°Maddy, he¡¯s Courtney¡¯s son. It¡¯s not good for you to get close to him.¡± It was as if warning bells had rung in Madeline¡¯s head. How could she forget how much she hated that woman? Moreover, if she snatched Courtney¡¯s son away, it would be a good opportunity to prevent her from marrying into the Astor family. Because of this, Courtney would surely throw out all means to deal with her. ¡°Thank you, Favian. I know what I¡¯m doing. I won¡¯t complicate things.¡± Favian could only wam her. As for how the situation progressed, he could only wait and see. ¡®As Madeline carried the little boy in, Augustus couldn¡¯t help but give his son an approving look. However, he had no idea what his son had said in order to bring her back. Madeline couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. She only instructed the kitchen to set the table for the meal. When she was around, she was like the mistress of the house, arranging everything properly. After putting both children to sleep. Madeline stayed downstairs, tidying up some documents. She sat cross-legged on the couch, her eyes fixated on the laptop. Soon, she attracted Augustus¡¯ attention. Perhaps it was because he had been paying attention to her changes today, so he felt that something was amiss. Madeline carefully studied news about Michelle on the Internet. It was said that knowing yourself and your enemy was the key to victory, but she had never paid attention to her opponents in the past. For Madeline, only the works that she created from her heart were the best, and she didn¡¯t want to learn from other people¡¯s works. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind her. Madeline was so frightened that she almost flung her laptop away. Augustus continued speaking, ¡°You are acting like you have a guilty conscience and doing something sneakily. Aren¡¯t your actions too obvious?¡± What nonsense was he spouting? Madeline cursed him in her heart, then said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s a little too much for you to suddenly appear behind someone and scare them like this. I¡¯m very timid. You might not be able to compensate me sufficiently if you scare me.¡± ¡°What is there in the city that our Astor family cannot afford to pay for?¡± Augustus obviously didn¡¯t take her words to heart. Madeline said helplessly, ¡°Mr. Astor, I feel that you need to understand some things. There are many things in this world that money cannot buy. For example, time, life, and your little son upstairs. They are all priceless.¡± Augustus replied stubbornly, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant!¡± ¡°Ha! Then you must be referring to me. Let me tell you then, even if you spend every single cent that the Astor family has, you won¡¯t be able to afford me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you, even if you give yourself to me!¡± Augustus¡¯ stubbom attitude pleased Madeline, and she couldn¡¯t help but give him a thumbs-up. ¡°That¡¯s great. Don¡¯t worry, there won¡¯t be a day when I give myself to you!¡± Augustus frowned and his expression turned solemn. Madeline retracted her gaze, as she didn¡¯t want to hurt her savior¡¯s heart. Seeing that Madeline had stopped bickering, Augustus walked over and sat down beside her. When he was walking over, he had caught a glimpse of her laptop screen. ¡°Why are you so interested in the brand HOPE? What exactly is your job?¡± Augustus hadn¡¯t found out anything, so he was curious. ¡®What he was even more curious about was why Madeline¡¯s information was hidden. What was so special about an ordinary person like her? ¡°T¡¯m just working for someone. I remember that you have quite a few fashion brands under you, Mr. Astor, and you¡¯ve worked with HOPE before. I wonder what your evaluation of our country¡¯s top designer, Michelle, is?¡± Augustus, on the other hand, looked disdainful. ¡°How dare someone just give herself such a title? She is merely the designer of a company. How can she be considered the best in the country?¡± This sounded awkward. After all, Madeline had read what the article in the fashion magazine wrote. However, in Augustus¡¯ mind, she was nothing at all. Before Madeline could continue, Augustus added. ¡°If we are talking about the most outstanding designer, I think it has to be Willow. This person¡¯s designs are brilliant and unique. However, she is also very mysterious. My company had invited her to work with us before, but she rejected us.. I wonder who that arrogant lass is, to have the audacity to reject collaborating with the Astor Corporation!¡± Chapter 30 - Understanding Her Better Than She Does Herself Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline¡¯s face stiffened as she stared at Augustus. Could she tell him that she was the arrogant lass that he mentioned? ¡®The reason why Madeline refused to cooperate with the Astor Corporation was because she found it troublesome. And that was because she didn¡¯t like to modify her work. Anything she had drawn had almost never been modified. However, the Astor Corporation had very strict requirements. One of which was that they could modify her work till they were satisfied. ¡®What did they mean by ¡¯till they were satisfied¡¯? ¡®As long as she decided on something, no one could change her mind, so the two parties didn¡¯t come to an agreement. ¡°Perhaps Astor Corporation¡¯s conditions were too harsh, so she couldn¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°all designers should feel honored if they are given a chance to work with Astor Corporation. I can only say that she doesn¡¯t know how to appreciate favors.¡± He had just criticized her a minute ago, and now he had made this declaration immediately after. Madeline felt that this person was deliberately making things difficult for her. ¡°Alright, I have nothing to say about this. Since you know these designers so well, then help me take a look at these designs. Do you think they came from Michelle?¡± Madeline turned the laptop towards Augustus, and he sat down with his legs crossed. The two of them made a harmonious sight because their movements were the same, just like a couple! Augustus studied them carefully before he replied firmly, ¡°These definitely weren¡¯t drawn by Michelle. This woman has worked with us before. I made her edit the drafts so much that she was on the verge of breaking down. In the end, she had to complete it with my company¡¯s designer.¡± Hearing this, Madeline admired him a little. He was a clear-minded person. ¡°Well said. In this case, who do you think drew these?¡± ¡®As expected, Augustus didn¡¯t disappoint her, ¡°It should be the design drafts of Willow. However, why would they appear in HOPE¡¯s fashion magazine? They must have been plagiarized.¡± Madeline sincerely gave him two thumbs up and said excitedly, ¡°As expected of the head of the Astor Corporation. I¡¯m so touched that you managed to identify who the real designer is with one glance.¡± Augustus cast her a disdainful look. This woman looked like she had accomplished nothing. ¡°What are you so touched for? This has nothing to do with you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong this time. It really has something to do with me. I¡¯m working at BELLA. This time, I¡¯m going to solve this plagiarism issue.¡± Augustus was startled. This company was famous for its strictness. How could such a rash person like her enter BELLA? ¡°Are you an odd-job worker there? You seem to be good at taking care of people. You can consider coming to the Astor Corporation to be a cleaner.¡± Madeline grinned. ¡°Mr. Astor, I really want to thank you for your great kindness. You even want to give me a job! But don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m doing quite well in BELLA.¡± Augustus merely glanced at her briefly before he scrutinized the drafts. He then reminded her. ¡°When Willow designs something, there¡¯s always something in common. Only those who know her well will realize it.¡± This surprised Madeline. She had no idea what Augustus was referring to. Why didn¡¯t she know about the similarities in her own designs? Augustus had asked her to maximize the size of the drafts. Then, at the position of the final seam, he mimicked the sewing action and drew out a ¡°W¡± shape. It seemed as though she had intentionally included it in her designs. This was the common point that was in all of Willow¡¯s designs. And on the few designs that were published under Michelle¡¯s name, this commonality that Augustus had mentioned appeared in all of them. Madeline was astonished. She closed her eyes and tried to think about why she didn¡¯t notice this, while Augustus, whom she had never collaborated with, was so aware of this. She immediately took out her past works. It was just as he said. ¡°Mr. Astor, you¡¯ve really helped me a lot this time. After I settle this matter, I¡¯ll definitely repay you properly.¡± Augustus chuckled softly. ¡°You¡¯re a responsible worker. Actually, when it comes to plagiarism, as long as we investigate who tampered with Willow¡¯s designs and who met Michelle during the design period, then it won¡¯t be difficult to trace what happened.¡± Madeline nodded gratefully. With his words, she was even more confident. Soon, her eyes returned to the laptop and she ignored Augustus. However, Augustus wasn¡¯t angry like he usually would be. Instead, he watched her quietly as she worked. Her focused expression was mesmerizing. After Madeline sent all her thoughts to Pamela, she turned off her laptop in satisfaction. However, when she turned around, her eyes met Augustus¡¯ serious expression. Her heart skipped a beat as a strange feeling struck her. When Augustus saw the blush on Madeline¡¯s face, he, who had never been close to women, suddenly felt that Madeline was a little cute. He even had the urge to pinch her cheeks. Madeline immediately stood up and hugged her laptop. ¡°I¡¯ve settled everything here. I¡¯ll return to my room now.¡± Augustus had always hated women, anda large part of it was due to Courtney. She had appeared out of nowhere and claimed that he had slept with her, and what was more ridiculous was that she had appeared with a son. If he hadn¡¯t verified that they were both Hugo¡¯s biological parents, Augustus wouldn¡¯t have believed that he had slept with that woman. That was why he subsequently hated women even more, and was unwilling to even look in their direction. However, even though Madeline seemed to be a little annoying at first, he could feel that his impression of her had somehow changed. ¡®The next morning, Madeline received good news. The headquarters had already found the person who had stolen her design drafts. It was an assistant called Sandra. She had entered her office and took pictures of her drawings. All of these things were captured using a hidden camera in the room. However, Madeline couldn¡¯t understand why Sandra did that. She had been a conscientious worker who had been with the company for several years, and she had never made a mistake. Madeline didn¡¯t even wait for Aurora to have breakfast before handing her over to Augustus. She rushed to the office to settle this matter. Aurora couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. ¡°Sure enough, after she found her husband, she threw me away straightaway. All women are like that.¡± Hugo smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be down, Aurora. You still have an older brother to protect you. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Aurora looked at him disdainfully and sighed, ¡°You can only be considered as one of my underlings. It¡¯s better if I protect you. From now on, you have to call me Boss.¡± Augustus saw that his son couldn¡¯t win against this sharp-tongued girl, so he chimed in. ¡°If your mother finds out about this, she will definitely scold you.¡± Aurora immediately put on a pitiful expression. Her large eyes successfully melted Augustus¡¯ heart.. Chapter 31 - Something Unexpected Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Augustus found it strange. Why was it that he was always favoring this little girl, and his heart always sympathized with her? In the past, President Astor was known to be cold and heartless, but now, he was conquered by these two females. Aurora asked pitifully, ¡°Daddy, are you sure you want to tattle on me?¡± Augustus had no choice but to pick her up and carry her. Her soft, sweet voice directly tugged at his heartstrings, making it impossible for him to scare her. ¡°Forget it, just pretend that I didn¡¯t say anything!¡± Even her mother couldn¡¯t do anything to Aurora, let alone Augustus. Augustus instructed Gerald, after he sent the two kids to the school bus. ¡°Investigate what that woman has been up to.¡± Gerald couldn¡¯t help but smile slyly. ¡°President Astor, you have finally been enlightened, and so are you now deciding to woo the child¡¯s mother?¡± Augustus almost punched him, but instead of doing so, he shot him an angry glare. ¡°This kind of joke isn¡¯t funny at all. I have to know what this woman who lives in my house has done outside, in order to avoid bringing trouble to my son and I.¡± Gerald pretended that he understood and nodded firmly. ¡°I¡¯ll go investigate now. President Astor, please wait patiently for the results.¡± Augustus knew that there was something different about Gerald¡¯s gaze, but he couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Hence, he could only let him leave with a strange expression. Did all these people think that he had some sort of relationship with Madeline? Madeline sped to the company. When she arrived, Sandra had already been detained and her face was filled with panic and guilt. Because of what she had done this time, she had almost caused the top fashion label to suffer, and almost ruined an outstanding designer¡¯s career. She even caused Madeline to be unable to participate in this year¡¯s clothing competition; that could be considered a heinous crime. In order to save Sandra some face, only Pamela and Madeline were in the office. ¡°Sandra, you are one of my assistants, and you have always been conscientious. I don¡¯t understand why you would do such a thing. I also don¡¯t believe that it was because you received benefits from the other party, so what exactly happened?¡± Sandra did not dare to reveal the truth about her brother and could only take on the blame herself. ¡°I only took some pictures because I really liked Willow¡¯s designs, but I don¡¯t know how they leaked out.¡± But Pamela laughed. ¡°Sandra, you¡¯re really not a good liar. You¡¯ve been in BELLA for a few years now already, how could you not know our rules? You¡¯ve always been by her side and have never done such a thing before. You can¡¯t possibly make a mistake this time.¡± ¡°Pamela, I only made this mistake because I liked the designs too much this time. No matter how much I have to compensate, I¡¯m willing to accept it.¡± Sandra was stubborn and refused to talk about the incident. However, Pamela took out her phone and started calculating. ¡°If you want to compensate us, that¡¯s fine too. Clothes that are produced under Willow¡¯s name are priced at two hundred thousand dollars apiece. Mrs. Astor has four sets, so that¡¯s eight hundred thousand in total.¡± ¡®When Sandra heard these numbers, she couldn¡¯t remain calm anymore; however, Pamela continued calculating. ¡°Also, for the past two years, all of Willow¡¯s works have been awarded gold medals. Each medal comes with a six-digit figure cash prize. Furthermore, these award-winning outfits are collectors¡¯ items. Last year, two sets alone cost close to a million dollars. However, we won¡¯t seck damages for psychological trauma and production costs.¡± Pamela¡¯s hands moved quickly on the calculator on her phone, making Sandra so nervous that she could not breathe. She certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to bear such a huge amount of money, even if she worked for several lifetimes. Madeline, on the other hand, didn¡¯t say a word; she simply allowed the experienced Pamela to help her settle this matter. In the end, Pamela said, ¡°Since you¡¯ve worked for the company for so many years, I¡¯ll fix the compensation amount to three million dollars. You should know that we¡¯ve already given you a discount.¡± Sandra¡¯s entire body crumpled onto the chair. For a moment, she did not know what to say. Pamela added. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think that you can resolve such a huge matter with just an apology, or do you think you can take it all on yourself? If you agree to it now, I will invite a lawyer over.¡± Pamela was the backbone of the company. Now that this had happened, she had to do everything she could to solve the problem with her clients. At the same time, she had to manage the employees in the company well. Madeline chimed in. ¡°Sandra, you¡¯re only in your twenties. Are you really going to let yourself go to jail because of something like this? You can¡¯t be stupid enough to take photos just because you like the designs. There must be some other reasons. You¡¯d better state them clearly.¡± Pamela¡¯s expression showed that there was no room for discussion. The two womens¡¯ auras completely crushed Sandra. Pamela continued speaking, ¡°I did some calculations. Actually, you only need to spend ten years in prison. You can choose to continue remaining silent. I¡¯l call the police.¡± Pamela had no intention of forcing her; she wanted her to make her own choice. Sandra knelt at their feet and said pitifully, ¡°Pamela, Willow, please don¡¯t call the police. If I go to jail, what will happen to my family? My brother doesn¡¯t have a job yet, and I still have to take care of them.¡± Madeline seemed to have thought of something and suddenly asked, ¡°Is this matter related to your disappointing brother? Did he ask you to steal my design drafts?¡± After all, they had worked together for two years, so they had some understanding of Sandra¡¯s situation. They knew that she spoiled her younger brother. For her to do such a thing, it was most likely instigated by him. After being exposed, Sandra was very flustered and shook her head repeatedly. She could not implicate her beloved brother. However, it was clear that she was hiding something, Pamela continued to push her limits. ¡°If you still refuse to tell me, then I really have to call the police. I believe the police will definitely find out who the culprit is.¡± After Pamela said that, she no longer had the patience to continue interrogating Sandra. Instead, she picked up her phone and prepared to calll the police. ¡®Madeline chimed in. ¡°I don¡¯t want to force you either. We gave you a choice, but you refused to treasure it. There¡¯s nothing more to talk about.¡± Seeing that the two were about to leave, Sandra could only stop them and shout pitifully, ¡°Tl tell you, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Pamela and Madeline looked at each other, and both of them sat back down. However, just as they thought that Sandra would tell them the truth, Sandra suddenly clenched her teeth and did something that shocked both of them. She rushed to the window and jumped off the building¡­ Chapter 32 - Sinner Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline thought that they could force Sandra to tell them the truth this way, though neither of them said that she would have to bear the responsibility fully. They were only forcing her because they wanted clarity on this matter. However, she pulled such a crazy move. In order to protect the mastermind, she actually chose to jump off a building. Madeline and Pamela rushed to the window at the same time, and saw Sandra lying in a pool of blood. ¡°Maddy, is she crazy? She¡¯s afraid of going to jail, but not afraid of dying?¡± Seeing that a crowd had already started to gather around, Madeline could only quickly make an emergency call. Then, she said helplessly, ¡°Sandra has gone way too deep into doting on her brother. In the past, even if someone said something bad about her brother, she would lose her temper at them.¡± Sandra¡¯s action shocked both of them. Fortunately, they were only on the fourth floor, so when she jumped, she simply lost consciousness and was sent away in an ambulance. Pamela said with her fingers pressed to her temples, ¡°Maddy, it seems that things aren¡¯t as simple as we thought. If we don¡¯t handle it well, we might all be in trouble.¡± ¡°Pamela, I really didn¡¯t expect things to turn out like this. I thought I would be able to find out who the mastermind was after we found Sandra, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be so stubborn.¡± ¡°Ididn¡¯t want to complicate things at first, but if she wants to do this, then she can¡¯t blame me.¡± Originally, this matter could have been resolved once Sandra spilled the beans, but in order to protect the mastermind, she chose such an extreme method. Therefore, Pamela had to think from the company¡¯s perspective. She chose to call the police and arrange for the professionals to deal with the matter. Madeline sighed. ¡°I just can¡¯t think of anyone who would target me and even implicate the company.¡± ¡°Maddy, don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll get to the bottom of this. Leave it to me and don¡¯t be too affected by this.¡± Pamela protected Madeline so valiantly that it warmed Madeline¡¯s heart. However, the matter was far more complicated than Madeline had imagined. Shortly after they called the police, this matter had somehow been widely spread online. There were even some terrible headlines. Some were about how Willow pushed her assistant so hard that she tried to commit suicide, while others were about Willow¡¯s plagiairism. This time, it was obvious that someone was trying to attack BELLA¡¯s reputation in the country. Of course, the one who benefited the most from this would be the most suspicious party. In the past, there was never a single blemish on BELLA¡¯s reputation. Now that their most capable designer had gotten into trouble, it would definitely cause a storm in the fashion industry. If the matter was not resolved properly, Willow¡¯s career would certainly be severely derailed. Despite her frustration and unhappiness, at the thought of the children waiting for her at home, Madeline soothed her emotions and returned to the Astor mansion. As soon as she entered the house, she saw the two children chasing after each other in the living room. The reverberation of their laughter around the living room immediately relieved her of her fatigue. But it was quickly ruined by a stern voice. ¡°You finally remembered to come home? Look at the time.¡± It was as if he was blaming his wife for returning home late. Madeline, who was originally in a bad mood, rolled her eyes at him unhappily. ¡°Thad something to attend to at the company, so I came back later. Thanks for taking care of the kids.¡± Although she wasn¡¯t familiar with Augustus, the strange thing was, she could entrust her daughter to him. The two little ones stopped chasing each other and ran to hug their mother. Their little faces rubbed against her legs, making Madeline feel better. Ever since Aurora was born, the mother and daughter had gone through all kinds of hardships. The difficulty she was going through now was nothing. Augustus had thought that she was going to argue with him. However, she said nothing and carried her daughter back to her room. All these years, Madeline never liked to rely on others. But whenever Favian knew that she was in trouble, he would take the initiative to help her. Now, she wanted to stop receiving help from others, and rely on herself to settle all these problems. However, she had just returned to her room when she heard the sound of someone kicking the door. And the reason the door was kicked was because President Astor¡¯s arms were fractured, and he had no choice but to use his legs. Madeline opened the door and glared at him angrily. She wanted to scold him for not knocking with his hands, but when she saw his hands in their casts, she suppressed her anger. ¡°Mr, Astor, it¡¯s my breaktime now. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Augustus glanced at the child who was making faces at him and said calmly, ¡°Follow me to the study. I have something for you.¡± Madeline really didn¡¯t know what Augustus was talking about. ¡°Thank you for your kind intentions, Mr. Astor. I don¡¯t think I lack anything right now, so I won¡¯t trouble you.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re going to be very interested in what I¡¯m talking about. And I can guarantee that if you miss this opportunity, you¡¯ll regret it.¡± Madeline wasn¡¯t in the mood to figure out his intentions, so she could only smile apologetically. ¡°Mtr, Astor¡¯s offer sounds attractive, but right now, I just want to rest. I think you can tell that I¡¯m feeling very stressed out.¡± Actually, what Madeline meant was this: ¡®You can see that I¡¯m in a bad mood now, so you¡¯d better walk away to avoid angering me.¡± However, Augustus replied seriously, ¡°I think the things I have prepared for you can resolve your worries. Besides, I look forward to working with you, Miss Willow.¡± ¡®When Augustus said this, Madeline was completely shocked. This meant that Augustus knew everything about her. Behind her, Aurora chimed in. ¡°Mom, I believe in Daddy. Hurry up and go. He¡¯ll definitely make you happy.¡± Madeline turned around and pinched Aurora¡¯s cheek, giving her a stern look. ¡°How many times do you want me to tell you that he¡¯s not your father?¡± Aurora stubbornly retorted. ¡°In any case, he¡¯s the only father that I¡¯ll acknowledge. Hugo also said that you¡¯re the only mother he¡¯ll acknowledge, and so we are a family.¡± Surprisingly, Augustus didn¡¯t refute Aurora¡¯s words; he should have been the one who was most resistant to what she said! There was still no reaction from him at all. Even when Madeline tured to look at him, he still didn¡¯t say anything. In the end, it was Aurora who won. ¡°Mom, did you see that? Daddy has silently acknowledged this, so don¡¯t be picky anymore. If you continue like this, you¡¯ll become an old spinster. You have to think of your daughter too. I¡¯m already worried sick for you.¡± Madeline was speechless. She was curious about what kind of daughter she had raised over the past few years, resulting in the latter torturing her now. If she didn¡¯t leave with Augustus, her daughter would probably despise her. Hence, Augustus had become a safe haven for her. This made Madeline feel a little hopeless. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mr. Astor. If I continue to stay here, I¡¯ll become a sinner.¡± ¡°Looks like I am your benefactor once again..¡± Chapter 33 - Absolutely Not Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡®When Madeline heard the word ¡®benefactor¡¯, she felt terrified. She hurried to the study and waited for Augustus¡¯ instructions. Madeline was in a terrible mood. This matter had suddenly blown out of proportion, so it was quite troublesome to deal with. And even if she explained this matter clearly, it would be seen as a cover-up, and would damage her reputation. ¡®When Augustus arrived, he muttered, ¡°I used to be curious about what kind of person Willow is, but I didn¡¯t expect her to be living in my house.¡± Madeline replied nonchalantly, ¡°Hearing you say this, I¡¯m sure that you probably arranged for someone to investigate me. If you have anything to say, hurry up. I still have a lot of important things to do.¡± Augustus gestured for her to switch on the laptop with his chin, and there was a confident smirk on his face. Madeline walked forward curiously, and after confirming the meaning of his gaze, she turned on his laptop. On the screen was a video of Michelle and Courtney talking. From the angle of the video, she saw Courtney handing her design drafts to her. This scene, as well as the scene of Sandra secretly photographing the design drafts were captured clearly. Madeline wasn¡¯t surprised by the content of the video, but was surprised at why Augustus would betray Hugo¡¯s biological mother. Courtney and her were at loggerheads with each other, so it was not surprising that she would try to frame her. However, Augustus had given her such a video. Wasn¡¯t he afraid that she would deal harshly with Courtney? ¡°Isn¡¯t she Hugo¡¯s biological mother and the future mistress of the Astor family? Are you sure you want to hand this piece of information over to me?¡± Augustus¡¯s calm expression turned furious when he heard her words. ¡°Don¡¯t lump this woman together with me. It disgusts me!¡± His tone was very angry, but Madeline didn¡¯t know what happened between the two of them. Of course, she didn¡¯t care. She just wanted this video. ¡°Did you really prepare this video for me for free?¡± ¡°Tm a businessman. Do you think that¡¯s possible?¡± ¡°But I clearly remember Mr. Astor saying that you prepared something for me. Could it be that you have other requests?¡± Madeline put on a fake smile as she spoke. She had no idea that Augustus was such a scheming person. Augustus chuckled softly. ¡°I did prepare this for you. Aren¡¯t I sincere enough? I have all the evidence that you were framed. As long as you take it, you will be able to turn the tables, and make your name even more prominent.¡± Madeline naturally understood what he meant, because this incident had already caused an uproar. Once the truth was revealed, her popularity would certainly rise. Hence, this case was equivalent to an opportunity for Madeline to market herself. Of course, if this matter couldn¡¯t be resolved, Madeline¡¯s reputation would be ruined. Therefore, the outcome of this matter lay in her hands! ¡°In that case, Mr. Astor, what are your conditions? Let¡¯s just be honest.¡± Madeline was a smart person. Since he had spoken, she was all ears. Augustus replied, ¡°I need you to work with my company and be in charge of this year¡¯s fashion design. I think you won¡¯t reject this simple request.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know why I refused to work with you in the past?¡± ¡°Please explain!¡± ¡°Mr. Astor, you always ask for too much. You like to impose your thoughts on others. What designers require is inspiration, and their own souls. However, if we work with you, you will peel away our souls, making us unable to find our direction.¡± Madeline had naturally seen the clothes produced under the Astor Corporation. At the same time, she had also seen the products designed by Michelle. They gave people a sense of oppression. Of course, to Madeline, the problem wasn¡¯t with the designer. It came from the person who made this request. Augustus fell silent for a long time before he shrugged. ¡°What you said doesn¡¯t apply to me.¡± Madeline smiled again. ¡°Looks like my advice is falling on deaf ears! If the Astor Corporation¡¯s fashion line is really that outstanding, then it wouldn¡¯t be ranked below the top five in the country. Why don¡¯t you find the problem within yourself first?¡± Who would dare to ask this of Augustus? Who would dare to criticize him? No matter which designer it was, they had to satisfy Augustus¡¯ standards before the work could be released. He often changed the designers¡¯ works until they were flawless. This was why Madeline refused to accept him. This man was too conceited. He wanted to control everything, including things outside of his abilities. If anyone else had said this, Augustus would have flown into a rage and chased them away. However, Madeline¡¯s words made him fall into deep thought. Or maybe Willow was the one who said this, so he chose to believe her. ¡°Of course, everyone has their own views. That¡¯s not wrong, but Mr. Astor, your mistake is to want to display your talent in a field that you are not familiar with. This creates pressure for others, and at the same time, you cannot achieve the results that you want.¡± Augustus was completely taken aback by her words. He wasn¡¯t even angry. This was the first time he had been completely insulted by a woman. Initially, he wanted to use this matter to negotiate with Madeline, but in the end, he was badly criticized, to the point that he seemed absolutely worthless. ¡°Perhaps I should listen to your opinion. After improving myself in these aspects, I will be qualified to make more comments.¡± It was unprecedented that Augustus was willing to listen to her opinion. ¡°Lknow it¡¯s a good thing for you to give your opinion, but don¡¯t force your ideas onto others. Take a more neutral stand, then this will change the situation.¡± Madeline spoke carefully, not knowing what Augustus was thinking. At the same time, she was also thinking about how to get the video. If they really had to cooperate, Madeline felt that it would be a big problem. She was already annoyed at having to live under the same roof as him. If they worked together, Madeline really didn¡¯t dare to imagine what would happen. ¡°Or you could work at my company. That way, you would be able to give me more advice.¡± ¡°Sorry about that, Mr. Astor. I have already signed a contract with BELLA. When they trained me, it was under the condition that I had to work for them for ten years. Otherwise, I would have to pay double the penalty.¡± Of course, these were all excuses. Madeline didn¡¯t even want to collaborate, so why would she want to move over to his company? That would mean that in the future, she would have to be with this arrogant man no matter if she was at home or at work. Madeline shook her head violently. This was definitely the most terrifying thing, Just thinking about it scared her, so she was vehemently against it.. Chapter 34 - All Businessmen Are Evil Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline had assumed that Augustus would back off after hearing what she had said. However, he was so wealthy that he didn¡¯t mind paying more to bring her over. ¡°Ican settle the breach of contract for you. You¡¯ll just need to sign a five-year contract with my company.¡± Hearing this, Madeline was so anxious that she started coughing. Did he know what he was saying? This wouldn¡¯t save her; rather, it would dig a hole for herself. ¡°Mr. Astor is really rich, but the penalty fee is an eight-digit sum. Do you think it¡¯s feasible?¡± Madeline wanted to scare him into retracting his help, but Augustus nodded readily. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem because I can make you create more profit for me.¡± Madeline wasn¡¯t easily impressed, but now, she was impressed by Augustus, and she couldn¡¯t help but give him a thumbs-up. ¡°Mr. Astor, the saying ¡®All businessmen are evil¡¯ aptly describes you. However, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m loyal to BELLA, as they have nurtured me for a few years. If I leave like this, wouldn¡¯t I be too heartless?¡± ¡°Does this mean that you don¡¯t want these videos anymore?¡± ¡°Of course I want them, but Mr. Astor, your actions are making things difficult for me. I¡¯ve said my piece, so can you empathize with the feelings of a loyal employee? Of course, if you insist on this exchange, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need for us to negotiate anymore.¡± Madeline felt that if she still had to succumb to threats now, she would have wasted the past five years of her life. Moreover, now that she knew what actually transpired, it would be easier for her to handle this matter, it¡¯s just that it would take more time. Augustus¡¯s expression darkened when he saw that she was unmoved. No one would reject the offer from the Astor Corporation¡¯s leader, but she did not even give him room for negotiation. ¡°Are you sure you want to do this? You really won¡¯t regret it?¡± Madeline nodded respectfully and replied politely, ¡°Yes. Thank you for your advice. I won¡¯t disturb your rest.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother to discuss this matter further. Instead, she slowly retreated, as if she was about to leave. Just as Madeline was about to open the door, Augustus stopped her. ¡°Why did you leave when I haven¡¯t even finished what I wanted to say? Come back!¡± Madeline had seen all kinds of people, so why would she just listen to him? Therefore, she pretended not to hear him, and opened the door. It was Augustus¡¯ turn to panic. He strode forward and blocked the door. ¡°In this house, you must listen to my orders!¡± He ordered proudly. Madeline could tell that he was really angry, so she could only say nicely, ¡°Does Mr. Astor have other instructions? I¡¯ve been running around for the entire day, so I¡¯m exhausted. I still have to go back to my room to take care of my child. As a single parent, you should understand my predicament well.¡± The words ¡®single parent¡¯ sent ripples through Augustus¡¯ heart. Although the Astor family definitely wouldn¡¯t mistreat the children in their family, only those who had experienced the hardships of single parenthood would understand how it felt. Augustus replied haughtily, ¡°Take the videos with you. It was meant for you anyway. What I said just now was merely a test to see if the famous Willow would become an ungrateful person.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t react in time. She asked curiously, ¡°You¡¯re saying that you¡¯ll give me these videos? Unconditionally?¡± Just how many faces did this person have? Just now, he was so fierce and insisted on negotiating with her. Yet, he gave her the videos unconditionally in the blink of an eye. Was it really just to test her? Augustus leaned against the door and replied, ¡°Of course, if you want to join my company, I would welcome you. I don¡¯t mind using other methods to compensate you too.¡± Madeline stood in front of his desk and confirmed it again. ¡°Are you really giving them to me?¡± Augustus nodded firmly and replied, ¡°Yes!¡± Madeline didn¡¯t stand on ceremony with him. She copied the videos onto her phone and started editing them. Augustus watched her as she typed furiously, and after she edited the videos, she posted the video of Courtney and Michelle¡¯s meeting on various popular sites. ¡°I thought that you would at least negotiate with the other party using these videos. I didn¡¯t expect you to use such a drastic move.¡± If it was Augustus, he would definitely have to retain these videos and use them to negotiate with the other party to gain more benefits. However, Madeline smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Astor and I definitely do things differently. I prefer to settle things straightforwardly. I don¡¯t even have the energy to talk to them. At the same time, I want to give them a surprise and catch them off guard.¡± Madeline wanted to catch these people unawares while they were basking in their successes. Besides, she didn¡¯t have to hold back when it came to these people. After all, they were all trying to harm her, so she should do the same to them. This was the first time Augustus had seen someone use such a method. It was rather intriguing. ¡°You¡¯re really special!¡± Madeline grinned. ¡°Anyways, thank you for your help, Mr. Astor. I will never forget your kindness.¡± One dared to speak, the other dared to believe. Augustus quipped, ¡°I saved your life previously, and now I¡¯m helping you get out of this predicament. You won¡¯t be able to repay me in this lifetime.¡± ¡°Mr. Astor is truly humorous. I have other matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t disturb your rest. We¡¯ll talk next time.¡± Madeline felt that this man was such an exploitative person. If she discussed business with him, she would definitely be exploited by him. Back in her room, Madeline felt that her heart was racing, and a strange feeling entered her heart. It was all because of Augustus¡¯ mention of the word ¡®lifetime¡¯! She came back with a vengeance. How could she be derailed because of love? What she wanted was to take revenge on the people who had harmed her in the past. Not only did she have to investigate what had happened five years ago, but she also had to investigate her mother¡¯s death. Everything was a conspiracy. She wanted to investigate and bring these people to justice. ¡°Mommy, what did you do in Daddy¡¯s room? Your face is red right now!¡± Aurora had a mature mind. When she saw her mother¡¯s expression, she immediately realized what had happened. Madeline glared at her threateningly. ¡°It¡¯s safest for you to keep your mouth shut. Otherwise, I guarantee that you won¡¯t have the chance to speak again.¡± Aurora grabbed her mother¡¯s hand and put on a pitiful look. ¡°Mommy, you won¡¯t do anything to your daughter, right? You said you would love me forever.¡± Chapter 35 - Blowing Them Up Into Pieces Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations These words made Madeline unable to resist at all. She bent down and picked Aurora up, her expression immediately changing. ¡°My precious daughter, Mommy definitely won¡¯t hit you. Go to sleep quickly. I still have work matters to settle.¡± Aurora nodded obediently. She knew that her mother was embarrassed now, so it was better to speak less. Madeline was helpless against her daughter. On the other hand, Courtney and Michelle were like ants on a hot pan, pacing around anxiously. ¡®What Madeline had released was like a bomb, completely blowing them up into pieces! Michelle¡¯s company immediately investigated this matter and even set up an investigation team. It had to be known that the person she plagiarized this time was Willow. Moreover, doing this not only disgraced HOPE, but also provoked BELLA. This matter had a considerable impact on the company. Courtney was really scared silly. She didn¡¯t expect this matter to be exposed so quickly. More importantly, they were caught off guard, so they didn¡¯t have any countermeasures. Furthermore, Pamela, the general manager of BELLA¡¯s US branch, quickly released another video. The content of the video was a compilation of the video of Sandra in the office, as well as the video of their confrontation with Sandra. With this video, everything was clear at a glance. There was no need for anyone to explain anything, It was obvious that Michelle and Courtney were behind the entire matter. Michelle then forced Courtney to meet her. It was indeed a forced meeting because after the videos were exposed, Courtney went into hiding and didn¡¯t dare to meet anyone. Michelle said over the phone, ¡°It¡¯s simple. If you refuse to come out, I will push all the blame onto you!¡± ¡®When the two of them met at the agreed place, and Michelle saw the person who had destroyed her career, she went over to her and hit her. ¡°You b*tch, the career that I¡¯ve worked so hard to build has been ruined by you. Don¡¯t you know how important this is to me? Didn¡¯t you say that there wouldn¡¯t be a problem? How are you going to explain the current situatio1 After saying that, Michelle was even more furious. She pounced forward and hit Courtney so hard that it seemed as though she was going to kill Courtney. Courtney was also at a loss. When she carried out this matter, she had hired professionals to get rid of all the surveillance videos. Hence, she didn¡¯t know how these videos came about. Besides, she only wanted to hurt Madeline, and had never expected the matter to develop in this manner. ¡°Michelle, calm down. This matter can still be resolved. Stop beating me. I already told you from the start that it would be best if you could just use it as a reference, but you didn¡¯t even change her trademark.¡± Courtney was not a kind person either. Things had already developed to this stage, how could she be simply bullied by Michelle? Michelle retorted angrily. ¡°Then tell me, what can be done? If this matter continues, I¡¯m telling you now, I won¡¯t let you off.¡± Courtney wasn¡¯t calm either. ¡°Then you might as well take my life now. You won¡¯t let me go, and they certainly won¡¯t let me go either. I¡¯m in a worse state than you.¡± Michelle was so angry that she didn¡¯t know what to say. Now that things had turned out this way, if she couldn¡¯t solve it, her fashion career would be over. Michelle grabbed her hair in frustration and said helplessly, ¡°I worked so hard to get to where I am today, but it¡¯s all going to naught because of my greed. Isn¡¯t she your sister? Go and beg her. No matter what, beg her to let us go.¡± There was no better solution now. She could only beg for forgiveness. Otherwise, there was no way to resolve this matter apart from death. Making Courtney beg Madeline was more difficult than killing her. ¡°That¡¯s impossible. I can¡¯t beg her.¡± Michelle let out a deep breath and slowly drew a dagger from her bag. Suddenly, she pounced on the unprepared Courtney and placed it against her neck, scaring Courtney so much that she trembled. ¡°What are you doing, Michelle? Don¡¯t be rash. If you have anything to say, just say it. Calm down.¡± This was the reason why Courtney refused to come out to see her. She was worried that Michelle might hurt her on impulse, but she had never thought that Michelle would use such a forceful method. Michelle said angrily, ¡°Listen carefully. If this matter is not resolved properly, causing my future to be ruined and leaving me no way out, I will definitely kill you!¡± After saying this, Michelle tightened her grip, as if she wanted to bring Courtney down with her. Auseless woman like Courtney would definitely be frightened when she heard such words. She stammered and nodded. ¡°Okay, okay! Everything is negotiable. I¡¯ll definitely help you beg her.¡± ¡°I¡¯d advise you not to play any tricks. Right now, I¡¯m already forced into a dead end. If you dare to run, I¡¯ll find you at your house and we¡¯ll perish together with your family.¡± ¡°Lwouldn¡¯t dare. I¡¯ll do what you tell me to. I promise.¡± Courtney was so frightened that she shook and looked obedient. Only then did Michelle let her go. Courtney touched her neck. She was really afraid that this woman would attack her. She regretted it now, but there was no turning back. Under the urging of Michelle, Courtney immediately rushed to the Astor mansion. She also wanted to resolve this matter, if it was not resolved by tomorrow morning, then Michelle would definitely take her life. Of course, she didn¡¯t want to die. Madeline was still sorting through the information on her laptop when the phone rang. She wasn¡¯t surprised when she saw the caller¡¯s name. ¡°What is it?¡± Courtney said anxiously, ¡°I want to see you. My life is at stake. Come out and talk to me.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t help but snigger. ¡°What has it got to do with me? Besides, so what if your life is at stake? Haven¡¯t you harmed me enough back then? It¡¯s good that you get to experience this feeling too.¡± Madeline naturally knew that Courtney was desperate, and she wanted to make the latter feel despair and fear. Prior to this, Madeline had dug up information about Michelle. If this matter blew up, Michelle would definitely take revenge on Courtney. Then, there would be a good show to watch. Courtney was desperate, but she could only suppress her anger and continue begging. ¡°I can explain what happened in the past. It¡¯s not like what you said at all. It¡¯s all a misunderstanding.¡± ¡°If what happened in the past can be considered a misunderstanding, what about this time? You attempted to frame me, and almost caused someone to die. Instead of being repentant, you think you can get away with it by just begging for mercy?¡± Courtney apologized profusely. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. Madeline, you used to pamper me a lot, and you would always help me when I met with difficulties.. So just meet me first, and we¡¯ll talk, okay?¡± Chapter 36 - Shocking Words Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations Madeline only admired Courtney¡¯s shamelessness and she could not feel her sincerity at all. ¡°Oh no, you didn¡¯t make me feel your sincerity. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow!¡± Sensing that Madeline was about to hang up, she immediately shouted, ¡°Madeline, save me! If I wait until tomorrow, I¡¯ll be killed by Michelle. She threatened that if I don¡¯t help her¡­¡± However, Madeline didn¡¯t give her a chance to continue, because it was exactly this sort of despair that she wanted Courtney to feel. Courtney was so angry that she threw the phone away. However, Michelle quickly called to chase her again, so she could only put down her pride and go to the Astor mansion. The butler brought her in. She wanted to go upstairs but was stopped. ¡°Miss West, Mr. Astor said that you can¡¯t go upstairs without his orders.¡± Courtney begged pitifully. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a matter of life and death right now. Please let me up this time. Mr. Astor is already asleep, so we can¡¯t possibly wake him up, right? Let me up please, I have something to talk to my sister about.¡± However, the butler was insistent. ¡°Please don¡¯t make things difficult for us. We can¡¯t go against Mr. Astor¡¯s orders. You should go back!¡± Courtney put her hands on her hips and immediately said in a furious tone, ¡°I¡¯m already giving you a lot of face by calling you Sir. You¡¯d better know what¡¯s good for you. Don¡¯t forget that I gave birth to Hugo. It¡¯s only a matter of time before I marry into the family. If you make things difficult for me, don¡¯t blame me for making things difficult for you when I move in.¡± The butler was indeed in a difficult position. No matter what, this woman was Hugo¡¯s biological mother, even though Hugo did not like her. However, if one day, she really married Augustus, with her petty character, she would be sure to make things difficult for him. Just when the butler didn¡¯t know what to do, there was a mocking voice that came from the second floor. ¡°It¡¯s still unknown whether this day will come. After all, you don¡¯t even have the right to come upstairs right now, so how can you even dream of marrying into this family in the future?¡± Madeline¡¯s words completely exposed Courtney¡¯s pitiable situation. Courtney was so angry that her entire body was shaking. She spent five years trying to get close to Augustus, but in the end, she didn¡¯t even have the right to go upstairs. On the other hand, Madeline had never interacted with him before, yet he could easily let this b*tch move in. Courtney clenched her teeth tightly and controlled her temper. No matter how angry she was, she still had to deal with her problems first. ¡°Madeline, you¡¯re finally willing to see me!¡± ¡®As Madeline walked down the stairs, she said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t come down, you¡¯ll probably create a din down here. My two children have just fallen asleep, I can¡¯t possibly let you wake them up.¡± Courtney clenched her hands into fists so hard that her nails sank into her palms. She used the pain to force herself to control her temper. This woman was already so arrogant even though she didn¡¯t know that Hugo was her child. If she were to find out the truth, there would be no place for her in the Astor family anymore. ¡°Madeline, I¡¯m just glad that you¡¯re willing to meet me!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy. I¡¯m willing to meet you not because I want to talk to you, but to prevent you from disturbing me. That¡¯s why I came down¡­ To chase you away!¡± These words were filled with disdain and threat, making Courtney almost lose her temper. But Courtney had no choice at all. She could only press on despite being snubbed. ¡®When Madeline walked to the living room, Courtney rushed over enthusiastically and said in a pitiful voice, ¡°Madeline, what must we do before you¡¯ll let this matter rest? Michelle and I can compensate you for all your losses this time. Please let us off!¡± Madeline said with a smile, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s not impossible for me to let you go. I did a rough estimation. The losses caused by this matter, as well as the damages caused from the psychological trauma, should add up to about twenty million dollars!¡± Courtney¡¯s heart trembled when she heard this astronomical figure. Of course, she couldn¡¯t afford this sum of money, and she felt that Madeline was clearly making things difficult for her, knowing that it was impossible for her to pay up. ¡°Madeline, can¡¯t you be more magnanimous? I promise I won¡¯t offend you anymore. Can you just let me go?¡± ¡°No I can¡¯t!¡± Madeline didn¡¯t give her a chance to discuss at all, causing her anxiety levels to rise. In the end, Courtney really had no choice but to kneel down. Then, she pulled Madeline¡¯s leg pitifully and said sincerely, ¡°Madeline, I know that I¡¯ve done a lot of things that made you angry, but I can promise you that I¡¯ll turn over a new leaf. I¡¯ll also compensate you a more reasonable amount, and I¡¯ll invite you back home, alright?¡± Ever since Madeline reappeared, Courtney had been worried that she would return to the West Family, so she had been badmouthing her in front of her father, preventing her from coming back. Now, she could only invite this woman home. As long as this matter could be resolved, she was willing to do anything. Madeline arrogantly pushed her away and sat down on the sofa. She crossed her legs and replied coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go back to that place even if you begged me. And the compensation amount is reasonable. I won¡¯t accept a single cent less.¡± Courtney fell limply to the ground and muttered, ¡°If this continues, she¡¯ll kill me!¡± Madeline chimed in. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t someone like you go to hell?¡± Courtney looked at her in despair, but all she saw was contempt and ridicule, making her understand that this Madeline in front of her was no longer someone she could placate with perfunctory statements. ¡°You really don¡¯t care about our sisterhood at all. Even when I¡¯m begging you like this, you still refuse to give in.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know your place. You¡¯re nothing to me. Besides, based on our past grudges, I don¡¯t think I need to explain myself anymore!¡± Courtney gritted her teeth. She came here, only to be mocked and looked down upon. Her attempt was completely futile. Finally, Madeline said, ¡°Of course, if you¡¯re willing to tell me why you did those things to me five years ago, including the truth behind my mother¡¯s death, I can spare you.¡± If Courtney told her the truth, then she would really be dead. ¡°Madeline, I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re talking about. Those matters were really a misunderstanding.¡± After she finished speaking, Madeline waved her hand. ¡°Butler, this person is too noisy. Quickly chase her out lest Mr. Astor¡¯s rest is disturbed by her.¡± Courtney stood up angrily. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°Who do you think you are, ordering people around here? Even if I can¡¯t marry Augustus, you shouldn¡¯t hope to stay here for too long.¡± ¡°From now on, she will be the mother of my son and the mistress of the Astor family. So long as she wishes to stay here, she can live here for the rest of her life. Do you have any objections?¡± Augustus¡¯ loud voice echoed from upstairs, causing the two women¡¯s emotions to fluctuate. Madeline¡¯s shock was no less than Courtney¡¯s. The two of them froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, not knowing what to do. Courtney felt that her breathing was about to stop, and she even suspected that there was something wrong with her ears.. Chapter 37 - Blindsided Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations ¡®Who would have expected Augustus, the most powerful man in the capital city, and always a man of his word, to say something like that? Didn¡¯t that mean that he had decided that Madeline was going to be his future wife? Because he totally didn¡¯t need to use such words to scare Courtney. This time, the two sisters¡¯ hearts were filled with mixed feelings. Courtney was petrified, and she stood there frozen. In the end, she had no choice but to retreat under Augustus¡¯ gaze. ¡°Mr. Astor, I gave birth to Hugo for you, but you refused to give me a status. Now, you¡¯re defending this person who just appeared.¡± Courtney¡¯s anger could burn a person to death. Madeline had gone and easily taken what she wanted. ¡°If you leave the Astor mansion now, you will still have some dignity left. Don¡¯t force me to chase you away. I only feel that you are a failure as Hugo¡¯s mother!¡± He actually said that she was a failure. Courtney clenched her fists tightly and didn¡¯t say anything else. She could only leave, bringing with her an anger that she had never felt before. ¡°Why did you say that?¡± ¡®As soon as Courtney left, Madeline questioned Augustus. His words were not of any help to her at all; rather, it would attract hatred and trouble for her. ¡°Of course it¡¯s because I¡¯m angry at her for using her identity to suppress you. Shouldn¡¯t you be thanking me instead of being fierce towards me?¡± ¡°Mr. Astor, I feel that I have to explain my position to you seriously. I¡¯m not interested in you at all, so from now on, even if you want to help me, please don¡¯t use this method.¡± Awoman had just told Augustus that she wasn¡¯t interested in him at all. ¡®Wasn¡¯t that the line that he should be using? Moreover, she should have thanked him, but in the end, she didn¡¯t appreciate it at all and instead blamed him for being nosy. ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. I¡¯m not interested in a woman like you who doesn¡¯t understand romance. I just want that woman to give up.¡± ¡°That¡¯s between the two of you. Don¡¯t involve me in the future.¡± Madeline stormed up the stairs and threw Augustus a dirty look before closing the door. Augustus gritted his teeth in anger. What had he done wrong? He had spoken up for this woman in a moment of pity, and yet she wasn¡¯t grateful to him at all. And now, she even treated him with such disdain. Augustus sucked in a deep breath. If he ever meddled with this woman again, he would no longer be human! On the other hand, Courtney, who had left the Astor mansion, was humiliated so badly for the first time in her life. All of this was due to that damned woman. However, before she could calm down, Michelle called her again to ask about the situation. Courtney smiled into the phone, ¡°The matter will be resolved soon. Let¡¯s meet somewhere!¡± Since this matter could not be resolved in the simplest way, there was only one solution. After Courtney agreed on the address, she called Shane. At this time, Shane was still in the hospital taking care of his injured sister. However, when he received Courtney¡¯s call, he still rushed to where she was. ¡°Courtney, why did you call me so anxiously?¡± Courtney fell into his arms sadly and pointed at her own face with tears in her eyes, ¡°Shane, look, I was beaten up just now, and she even threatened to kill me.¡± When Shane saw this, his heart ached as he caressed her face. When he saw the red and swollen sides of her face, he was furious. ¡°Who dared to do this to you? Tell me, I¡¯ll settle the score with her.¡± Courtney cried pitifully, ¡°It¡¯s Michelle. She was the one who made me steal the drafts and caused your sister to end up like this. Now that the truth is out, she still wants to get rid of me. I¡¯m really scared.¡± Courtney understood Shane¡¯s character too well. As long as she suffered a little, he would definitely fly into a rage and help her vent her anger. ¡®As expected, after these words were spoken, Shane became agitated. He grabbed Courtney¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Courtney, tell me, how should we deal with this woman? If she dares to harm you, I¡¯ll kill her first.¡± This was what Courtney wanted to hear. After hearing his declaration, she nodded awkwardly, ¡°If I don¡¯t get rid of her, then I¡¯ll be the one implicated and killed in the future.¡± ¡°Courtney, ask this woman out. I have a way to deal with this.¡± Shane had long gotten used to handling these matters. He was even the one who had arranged for Madeline to be burned alive five years ago. For Courtney, he really could do anything. Courtney said deliberately, ¡°Actually, she¡¯s asking me to meet her now, but it¡¯s almost midnight. I¡¯m afraid, so that¡¯s why I called you.¡± Courtney then gave Shane the address she was meeting Michelle at, indirectly asking him to deal with Michelle. If this problem could be resolved peacefully, Courtney wouldn¡¯t have thought of making a move either. It was just that these matters now involved her own safety. If Michelle wanted her to die, she would definitely make her die first. Shane noted down the address of the meeting place and consoled Courtney, before going off on his own. In order to find an opportunity for Shane, Courtney had arranged to meet Michelle at a restaurant on the top of a tall building. In addition, there was almost no one around in the wee hours of the morning, so it was convenient for Shane to make a move. The next morning, there was news of Michelle committing suicide by jumping off a building. It said that she could not withstand the pressure of public opinion, so she chose to use this method to end her life. ¡®When Madeline saw this report, she was also very shocked. Initially, she wanted to see the two of them turn against each other, but she didn¡¯t expect Courtney to be so cruel to use such a method. If she had relented last night, then Michelle would not have died. ¡°Why? Are you regretting it?¡± Augustus¡¯ questioning voice came from behind her. He must have seen the news. Madeline didn¡¯t know how to answer him. She just felt that if she had used another method back then, a life would have been saved. After all, the person she wanted to target wasn¡¯t Michelle. ¡°There¡¯s something fishy about Michelle¡¯s death. Such an ambitious person wouldn¡¯t have chosen this way to end her life.¡± Augustus sneered coldly, ¡°That¡¯s why you feel sorry for her. However, you were very determined last night. You didn¡¯t think that your decision would affect a person¡¯s life?¡± Madeline was displeased. Augustus was obviously implying something. ¡°Mr. Astor, what do you mean by this? Don¡¯t tell me you know that there is a hidden motive behind this?¡± Augustus shrugged. He had no intention of clarifying the matter. He merely replied coldly, ¡°If you don¡¯t like me meddling in your business, why are you asking so many questions?¡± Madeline was about to be angered to death by him. Did this man have to be so petty? She had only grumbled about it, but he bore a grudge even now. After all, as someone involved in this matter, she might have been blindsided. As an outsider, Augustus might have a clearer view of the matter.. Chapter 38 - Feeling Frenzied Inside Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations This person was obviously trying to throw bait after drawing her attention. Madeline naturally knew that this matter was not that simple. Logically speaking, if Michelle really chose to commit suicide, she would have killed Courtney first. If she didn¡¯t understand these people¡¯s personalities, Madeline wouldn¡¯t have dared to release the information in such a way. Yet, the result was still unexpected. ¡°Consider it a slip of my tongue in the past, so please give me some pointers, Mr. Astor.¡± ¡°I¡¯s actually very simple. The place where Michelle committed suicide was a restaurant on the top floor of a building. She must have gone to such a place because she had an appointment with someone. If that was the case, why would she commit suicide? Also, it¡¯s said that her phone was not found at the crime scene. You should understand why.¡± Madeline immediately noted down all these suspicious points. It seemed like Augustus, who appeared cold on the surface, was actually paying attention to her behind her back. ¡°Twill report all these things to the police and find the mastermind.¡± ¡®What Madeline wanted to do the most was to force Courtney into a corner. She would only reveal her true colors when she was in a desperate situation¡­ and right now, Courtney was almost at her wits¡¯ end. Augustus smiled faintly, a look of anticipation on his face. In the past, Madeline had always thought that this person was in cahoots with Courtney. That was why she treated him so badly. Now that she knew that the two of them weren¡¯t in cahoots and that Augustus was tired of Courtney, Madeline¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡®When Madeline sent all her questions to the police, she soon got a response. The police had found Michelle¡¯s phone, but when they pulled out her call records, it was empty. However, according to eyewitnesses¡¯ accounts, Michelle had a breakdown. In the office, Madeline couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how hard she tried. Pamela comforted her. ¡°Maddy, this matter has been solved, and because of this incident, your reputation has even risen. Although it was a false alarm, it¡¯s still helped promote you, so you shouldn¡¯t think too much about it anymore.¡± Although this situation had been very unfavorable towards Madeline at the beginning, after things cleared up, people were even more amazed by her abilities. However, Madeline did not feel good about it. ¡°Pamela, don¡¯t you think that something is amiss? This incident was resolved with Michelle¡¯s death, but the culprit is obviously the person who stole my drafts and gave them to Michelle.¡± ¡°Maddy, I know what you mean, but there are some things that you need to understand. In our line of work, what we¡¯re most afraid of is to expose dirty secrets. I don¡¯t care how curious you are about this matter, but don¡¯t pursue it anymore. Otherwise, itll cause even more trouble in the future.¡± Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that there was more to this matter than met the eye. However, if they really wanted to get to the bottom of it, who knew what would happen? Therefore, the best thing to do was to seize this opportunity and close the matter entirely. ¡°Tknow what you mean. I won¡¯t pursue this matter anymore.¡± Madeline couldn¡¯t cause any more losses to the company because of her personal grudges, so she could only put this matter aside temporarily. However, that didn¡¯t mean that she would let the culprit off easily. After the matter was settled, Madeline was in a good mood. When she went back to the Astor mansion, she brought a big cake to celebrate. From the moment she entered the room, the two little ones surrounded her. Wherever she was, Augustus¡¯ presence was like air. After preparing food for the two children, Madeline even specially prepared some for Augustus. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you that I was able to make a comeback in the shortest time possible. This is my thanks to you.¡± Augustus was injured, so all he had to do was open his mouth and the sweet cake would be fed into his mouth. His eyebrows rose slightly and he looked rather smug. ¡°Mr. Astor, I feel really bad about your broken arms. I¡¯ve found a specialist, so I¡¯ll personally take you there tomorrow.¡± The food in his mouth immediately lost its taste. He refused. ¡°I have the most professional doctors, so I don¡¯t need to trouble others.¡± ¡°But this professor I found doesn¡¯t normally treat patients. I had to beg him before he agreed. You should go take a look. It might help you recover.¡± Augustus¡¯ expression darkened. If they really went to visit the doctor, wouldn¡¯t his recovery be discovered? ¡°Tmean it when I say that I won¡¯t go!¡± Augustus looked as though he was about to lose his temper. He stood up and was about to head upstairs, refusing to even eat the cake that Madeline had prepared for him. Madeline just couldn¡¯t figure this man out. She hurriedly put down the things and caught up with the man on the stairs. However, before she could say anything, she slipped. Just as she was about to fall back, Augustus suddenly grabbed her arm. His action immediately caused the crowd to cheer. Of course, these cheers were from the two little ones. Especially Hugo, who shouted loudly, ¡°So Daddy was lying. In order to let Mommy take care of him, he deliberately used this method.¡± ¡°It looks like Daddy went all out to let Mommy take care of him. It¡¯s obvious how much he loves her.¡± Aurora couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Augustus¡¯ hands froze in mid-air. After confirming that Madeline was safe, his face darkened. Madeline¡¯s heart was still racing. If Augustus hadn¡¯t intervened, she would have been injured. Although she had exposed Augustus¡¯ trick because of this, she wasn¡¯t angry. She merely cast a stern glance at the two rowdy little fellows and they shut their mouths immediately. ¡°From now on, if I hear you mention this matter, I will seal your mouths.¡± Hugo was still not used to his mother¡¯s threatening tone. He quickly covered his mouth and listened obediently. Aurora comforted him. ¡°Hugo, don¡¯t take Mommy¡¯s words to heart. This is her way of showing her love for us.¡± Madeline was speechless. She could only make a threatening gesture before she went upstairs to look for Augustus. Augustus, who used to be cold and heartless, had completely lost his dignity in front of this mother-daughter pair. In the end, he was even exposed in such a way. It was simply embarrassing. Madeline knocked at the door. ¡°Mr. Astor, I have something to talk to you about.¡± Augustus was too ashamed to face her. He merely replied coldly, ¡°You know the truth now. Don¡¯t you dare make fun of me. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to bear the consequences.¡± No matter what, he could not lose in terms of temperament. He thought for a while and also said, ¡°If you want to leave, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± He had never been so humiliated in his entire life.. He was about to go crazy!