"Why are you giving me this envelope?" Madelynn asked, her brows tightening slightly.
Danny tapped the envelope in front of him. "The Dawson Group is holding the quarterly meeting tomorrow. I need you to deliver a written apology to them. You won't have to meet anyone; just leave it at reception."
He paused for a moment. "It's nothing more than procedure. Once that's done, the matter should settle itself."
Madelynn looked at the envelope but made no move to pick it up.
"I understand this feels unfair," Danny said, his tone gentler now. "But that's the nature of this industry. When the client asks for something, we comply. Just consider it helping the company."
After a brief pause, Madelynn reached out and took the envelope.
However, instead of heading back to her desk, she went straight downstairs.
It was a little past eleven when her taxi pulled up outside the Dawson Group building.
Inside, the receptionist, a young woman, straightened the moment Madelynn mentioned Caiden's name. Her expression immediately turned cautious. "Do you have an appointment?"
"No," Madelynn replied. "Just please give this to him."
She had just placed the envelope on the counter when someone called out behind her.
"Miss Douglas?"
She turned around.
Standing near the elevator was Jed Rogers, his expression stiff with recognition and something close to reluctance.
As Caiden's assistant, he had interacted with her often in the past.
"I'm only here to drop something off," Madelynn said, indicating the envelope. "Since that's done, I'll be leaving now."
"Hold on." Jed stepped closer, his gaze dropping briefly to the envelope. Noticing it hadn't been sealed, he raised a brow. "An apology letter?"
Madelynn didn't deny it, saying nothing.
Jed fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Mr. Dawson is currently in a meeting. You can wait upstairs."
"That won't be necessary."
"It is," Jed said, his tone gaining a firmer edge. "You know how Louis behaves. If this isn't resolved today, he'll keep making an issue of it. That would complicate things for Mr. Dawson."
Madelynn looked at him quietly.
Jed avoided her eyes, saying, "Come with me."
The twenty-eighth floor hadn't changed. Everything looked exactly as it had years ago.
Madelynn found herself standing in the hallway outside the break room, with nowhere to sit and not even a glass of water offered.
Jed had told her, "Please wait here for a moment," but never returned.
She remained by the wall as time dragged on—ten minutes, then twenty, thirty...
A familiar, gnawing pain began to coil in her stomach.
She hadn't eaten breakfast that morning. And the night before, she had barely managed a few spoonfuls of soup.
It was a habit her body had never forgotten—something left over from those years when she juggled multiple jobs and ate only when she could.
Things had improved once, briefly. Back when she was with Caiden, he had been almost obsessive about her meals, making sure she ate on time, even arranging for food to be delivered to her at school.
During that time, the pain had nearly disappeared.
But after they parted ways, it came back as if it had been waiting.
Madelynn pressed her back against the wall and closed her eyes, steadying herself. Just ten more minutes, she decided. If Caiden didn't come out by then, she would leave.
The minutes slipped by.
She opened her eyes.
At the far end of the corridor, the conference room doors swung open. A group of executives stepped out, their polished appearances and composed expressions marking the end of the meeting.
Caiden emerged last, walking alongside someone as he listened, his posture relaxed yet distant.
Then, almost as if something had drawn his attention, he looked up.
From across the wide hallway, his eyes found Madelynn. For a fleeting second, he paused.
And then, just as quickly, he looked away. His conversation resumed, his steps continuing toward his office as though nothing had happened.
Madelynn didn't move.
She watched him getting closer and closer until he passed by her completely, without a glance, without a pause, as if she were no more significant than the décor lining the walls.
Her fingers tightened around the envelope.
"Mr. Dawson," she called out.
Though Caiden stopped, he didn't turn.
"What is it?" His voice was calm and detached.
"I came here to apologize."
"For?"
"For yesterday. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
Silence lingered between them for a few seconds.
Then, Caiden finally turned.
His gaze settled on Madelynn, scanning her face before drifting downward, pausing at the box of stomach medication peeking out from her coat pocket.
He then looked back up.
Her pale complexion said enough.
"So this is your way of apologizing?" he asked.
Unaware of what Caiden had noticed, Madelynn met his tone with equal indifference. "If there's a specific way you prefer, I can follow it."
That answer caught Caiden off guard.
For a moment, it seemed as if he might respond, something flickering in his expression, but it disappeared soon.
In the end, he simply extended his hand. "The letter."
Madelynn placed the envelope into his palm.
He didn't open it. Just held it there.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"No."
With that, Madelynn turned immediately, heading toward the elevator.
She had only taken a few steps when his voice came again. "Madelynn."
She stopped but didn't look back.
"I've accepted your apology letter." There was a short pause before he added coldly, "Don't appear in front of me again."
For a second, Madelynn was stunned.
Then, without turning around, she replied quietly, "Understood."
Right then, the elevator doors slid open, and she stepped inside.
Even as the doors closed, she kept her eyes forward, not looking back.
