As expected, Caiden never caused trouble for Madelynn again.
At Infinity Entertainment, the earlier incident involving Louis was also quietly brushed aside, as if nothing had ever happened.
On the surface, everything returned to its usual rhythm. The partnership between Infinity Entertainment and the Dawson Group continued without interruption. Since Abby had taken over the project, Madelynn had to accept one of Abby's projects.
The moment Madelynn opened the project files, however, she understood immediately—Abby had deliberately set her up.
The client was Randy Wallace, in his forties, divorced three times, and infamous in the industry for his inappropriate behavior toward female producers. Abby clearly didn't want to deal with him herself, so she pushed the responsibility onto her instead.
Yet refusing was not an option.
After the previous project fallout, Madelynn knew Danny would not tolerate her rejecting another assignment.
So, despite everything, she agreed to meet Randy over a meal.
Randy chose the time himself, seven in the evening.
The place was an upscale restaurant with elegantly named private rooms. The one they were assigned was called "Pattering Rain."
Within ten minutes of sitting down, Madelynn already knew—Randy wasn't here to discuss business.
Randy leaned back comfortably as he poured her a drink, his gaze lingering on her longer than appropriate.
"Miss Douglas, you really are impressive for your age," he said smoothly. "No wonder Infinity Entertainment is doing so well with someone like you around."
"Thank you," Madelynn replied evenly, gently sliding the glass aside. "But I can't drink much. Let me just have something nonalcoholic."
Randy's smile thinned slightly. "Not drinking is the same as refusing my respect."
"Then I'll pour some drink for you instead," she said calmly, "as my way of showing you my respect."
For a brief moment, Randy's expression hardened before he put a smile back onto his face. "Alright. You've got quite the personality. I like that."
For the next forty minutes, Madelynn maintained a polished, professional smile as well as she could.
Whenever Randy attempted to shift the conversation into something more personal, she smoothly redirected it back to the project.
In the end, the contract stayed unsigned, with Randy saying he still needed time to "think it over."
By the time Madelynn stepped out of the restaurant, it was already twenty past ten.
She could still catch the last subway if she hurried.
Randy quickly followed her out. "Miss Douglas," he said, "let me give you a ride."
"No need for that," Madelynn replied. "I'll take a taxi back."
"At this hour?" Randy chuckled. "You'll have a hard time getting a taxi. I'm heading in your direction anyway."
Before she could refuse again, he had already opened the passenger door of his car. "Or is it that you think my car isn't good enough for you?" he asked teasingly.
Madelynn's eyes briefly landed on the black Mercedes.
For a moment, an image surfaced in her mind—that night, the black luxury car, and the man who had once felt close yet now so distant.
Madelynn exhaled softly and eventually got inside the car.
"Thank you, Mr. Wallace."
Ten minutes into the drive, something felt wrong. The route was unfamiliar.
"This isn't the way to Infinity Entertainment," Madelynn said.
"I'm taking you somewhere nice," Randy replied with an easy laugh. "Relax."
Madelynn's grip tightened on her phone. "I have an early meeting tomorrow. I need to get back soon."
"Meetings can wait," Randy said, turning the car toward a narrow side street. The road ahead grew darker and quieter, far from the main traffic. "You're still young," he continued casually. "There's no need to bury yourself in work all the time. Life has far more enjoyable things to offer."
Soon after, the vehicle came to a stop in front of an abandoned industrial building. Randy killed the engine, and the silence that followed felt heavy.
Madelynn immediately reached for the door handle. But it didn't move. It was locked.
"What are you doing, Mr. Wallace?" Her voice turned sharp.
Randy didn't respond right away. Instead, he unbuckled his seatbelt and slowly turned toward her.
The dim interior light washed over his face, stripping away the polished image he had maintained and exposing something far less civilized underneath.
"When Danny handed this project to you, you should've understood what kind of arrangement this is," he said flatly, leaning closer. "In this industry, nothing comes free. If you want opportunities, you have to be willing to pay for them."
Madelynn moved back slightly, her back pressed against the car door, keeping some distance between them.
"You've misunderstood me. I'm not that kind of person."
Randy let out a cold laugh. "Please. I've worked with enough people like you to know better. Stop putting on an act. Or are you trying to negotiate for something more from me?"
Before she could reply, his hand landed on her knee.
For a split second, Madelynn's mind went completely blank.
She then shoved him away and reached for the door lock.
The sudden force knocked Randy off balance, and his expression twisted in anger. He grabbed her hair and yanked her back violently.
"You're asking for trouble!" he spat.
His hand then swung toward her face, trying to hit her.
Madelynn dodged at the last second, but his nails still scraped across her cheek.
Cursing under his breath, Randy grabbed her collar and slammed her head against the window.
Pain exploded through her head.
Her hand instinctively reached for the door switch.
With a click, it unlocked, and she fell out of the car, hitting the ground hard. Her elbow scraped painfully against the rough surface.
Randy stepped out after her. She fumbled on the ground, found a brick, and raised her arm.
But then, before she could act, her wrist was caught mid-air. The grip was firm yet steady, the hand warm and unmistakably familiar.
"It's me," a voice said quietly.
Madelynn's breath caught instantly. Tears blurred her vision, making everything indistinct.
She couldn't see the person's face clearly in the dark, only a shadow standing between her and danger.
But she knew that voice.
Caiden pulled her to her feet, took the brick from her hand without a word, and tossed it aside.
He didn't look at her. His attention stayed fixed entirely on Randy.
Randy's face went pale the instant he recognized Caiden.
"Mr... Mr. Dawson..."
Caiden didn't respond.
He remained where he was, one hand still steadying Madelynn by the arm. In the dim light, his expression was hard to read, but his silence alone was enough to suffocate any courage Randy had left.
"You've got three seconds," he said coldly. "Get lost."
Randy didn't hesitate. He scrambled back into his car in panic. The engine started violently, and the black vehicle soon sped off down the alley. Its taillights disappeared completely into the night.
The space fell into heavy silence.
Only then did Caiden let go of Madelynn's wrist.
Madelynn leaned against the wall, head lowered, trying to steady her breathing. Pain throbbed through her elbow, where blood had already begun to run down her skin and drip onto the ground.
Caiden looked at her quietly.
He didn't ask anything.
Instead, he took out a dark gray handkerchief from his pocket, one she immediately recognized.
Even the scent brought back a memory she hadn't expected to surface.
It felt like nothing had changed.
Caiden pressed the cloth gently over the wound on her elbow.
Madelynn instinctively recoiled.
"Stay still," he said, his eyes lowered. His movements were controlled and careful.
The fabric darkened almost immediately as it soaked up blood. For a brief moment, his brows tightened.
Madelynn suddenly felt tears gathering in her eyes again.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Caiden replied, "I was just passing through."
"This route doesn't lead to downtown."
Caiden's hand paused slightly at that.
"I followed you here," he admitted after a beat. "I saw you leave the restaurant."
Madelynn went quiet.
After a few minutes of steady pressure, the bleeding slowed.
Caiden's gaze shifted to the bruise near her temple. His expression darkened slightly.
"Anywhere else hurt?" he asked.
"No."
Caiden didn't believe her.
His eyes lingered on her face for a few seconds longer before drifting to the edge of her coat, where a box of stomach medicine was partially visible.
"Have you eaten?"
"Yes."
"When?"
Madelynn didn't answer.
Caiden didn't push further. He lowered his eyes, refolded the handkerchief, now stained dark, and put it away.
"Can you walk?" he asked.
"Yeah."
With that, Madelynn tried to take a step, but her legs gave out beneath her.
Caiden caught her before she could hit the ground.
For a brief moment, he didn't move, as if weighing something unspoken. Then, he bent slightly, slid one arm behind her shoulders and the other beneath her knees, and lifted her cleanly off the ground.
"Caiden—"
"Don't move," he interjected.
He carried her toward the exit of the alley.
Madelynn stopped resisting.
She rested against him instead, the tension slowly leaving her body.
That familiar scent of his reached her again—pine, cool and crisp, like snow settling on a quiet winter morning.
Her eyes closed, and just for a moment, she let herself rest.
