Madelyn thought to herself that she would pay him back that money. She did not want to owe him anything.Zach led the way with the shopping bags. Neither of them brought up the recent incident.Off to the side, Madelyn spotted a scarf she liked. It was handcrafted from silk. She checked the price tag and found it was also a thousand dollars.Zach said, "Take it if you want it."Madelyn replied, "Forget it. If Rosario knew, she'd never want to wear it." She wasn't materialistic. Although the scarf was of good quality, it wasn't necessary, so she wouldn't buy it.After a moment's thought, Madelyn did purchase two pairs of gloves. One was red, and the other was black, costing around two to three hundred dollars each, not too expensive.They didn't spend too long shopping, just about thirty minutes or so, and Madelyn was all set to go with two big shopping bags. She didn't pick out anything for herself. Well, she didn't really need anything anyway."Mr. Jardin? Madelyn?" a voice the

'But it doesn't matter now,' Madelyn felt that Zach's so-called "feelings" for her were just something temporary. He seemed upset that she didn't like him anymore, so he did those things to her.Those feelings weren't really love; they were more like being controlling. She thought, 'Maybe... in this new life, he could fall for Cecilia again. So, even if we end up together as a couple again, he'll just leave me behind once he loses interest in me.'That was why, this time around, no matter how many girls Zach liked, Madelyn had already decided not to fall for him again. Even if she ended up feeling lonely for the rest of her life, she wouldn't repeat the same mistakes she made before.At The Deli, Zach had requested a private room, but Madelyn was worried he might try something in a secluded place, so she quickly told the waiter, "We don't need a room, the main hall is just fine."Zach smiled and told the waiter, "Main hall it is, as she wants.""Right this way, please," the waiter

Madelyn opened the car door and hopped out without hesitation.The security guard patrolling by the entrance gate saw her. "Miss Jent," he called.Madelyn didn't look up and quietly answered, quickly moving away. She still had to walk for about ten or twenty more minutes to get to the building where Ethan was staying.The security guard pressed the Bluetooth earpiece in his ear. While watching Madelyn's figure fading in the distance, he spoke to Ethan, "Miss Jent is back. A black Audi A6 dropped her off!"Ethan asked, "Did you see who was driving?""No, the driver didn't get out.""I see." Ethan hung up the phone.After a ten-minute walk, Madelyn finally got to the destination.A servant spotted Madelyn when she quietly got to the doorstep. The servant hurried over, and her voice was filled with concern as she said, "Miss Jent, you're finally here. Mr. Arnold called quite a few times not long ago. He was worried about you and wanted to talk to you! You should give him a call!

Ethan sipped his creamy oatmeal, pushing up the sleeves of his shirt and revealing a hint of a blue tattoo on his forearm. The intricate veins patterned across his skin, moving and curving as he ate, adding a touch of mystery and charm. "George, you're here. Got something to say?""Yeah, it's about Mrs. Arnold Sr...." George glanced at Madelyn briefly, seeming a bit uncertain about continuing.Ethan prompted, "It's alright."George had been pretty busy lately, handling things at the main mansion of the Arnold estate since the head butler there was on sick leave."Mrs. Arnold Sr. caught a cold recently and wants to see you, and also... Miss Jent!"Madelyn focused on her creamy oatmeal, keeping her head down. When she heard those words, her face froze in surprise. She thought to herself, 'Why does Ethan's grandmother want to see me? Is it just because she's sick, or is there something else?'Ethan tapped his finger on the table, looking thoughtful. Then he turned to her gently, "Wo

Madelyn nodded firmly. "I'm certain."Tiger crossed his arms and smiled, thinking that she finally smiled today."It looks like my friend didn't deceive me after all. But how do you know it's authentic?"Madelyn shook her head. "I don't have an explanation, but there's a familiarity in this painting that I can't ignore. I'm convinced it's real.""I understand." Tiger chuckled softly. "If you say it's real, then I believe you.""You're quite the savior for your friend. Not many would part with something so valuable.""It's not something that's mine to possess. If I accept it, I'll owe someone a significant favor. And favors have a way of needing repayment sooner or later.""True enough.""Did you save his life?"Tiger smiled, glancing down and shaking his head. "I won't talk further about that. Let's grab a meal. I've been away for a while, and I heard they've introduced some new dishes. Interested in trying them out together?"She replied, "Definitely."Madelyn didn't feel m