"Where are you going? Did I do something wrong to upset you? If I did, just tell me and I'll fix it, okay?"
Madeline watched Elias' restless behavior and sighed softly, kneeling calmly to pick up the scattered items. "No, it's nothing. Just some old things taking up space, so I thought I'd throw them away."
Hearing this, Elias' earlier anxiety finally subsided. He pulled her into his arms. "You scared me to death. Thank goodness, I thought you were leaving me."
Every word Elias spoke reflected how deeply he loved Madeline and she never doubted his feelings for her. However, she no longer dwelled on the reason for his infidelity. It simply didn't matter anymore.
Seeing her clothes still neatly hanging in the closet reassured Elias. Maybe he had overthought things. Still, the events of the past few days had left a shadow in his heart. Since then, except for work, Elias spent all his time at home with Madeline.
At that moment, Madeline's phone vibrated with a message. "Miss Shepherd, all your personal records in this country have been successfully erased."
Reading this, Madeline felt an immense sense of relief. Without hesitation, she used her overseas identity to book a ticket to Burgola.
"What are you doing? You seem so focused."
Madeline was startled and quickly locked her phone screen. "Nothing. I was just thinking—tomorrow's your birthday, right? I've prepared a surprise for you. Excited?" She smiled brightly as she spoke, but if Elias had looked closely, he might have noticed a hint of mockery in her eyes.
However, he was too distracted by the word surprise to notice. His face lit up as he lifted Madeline and spun her around in joy. "You're amazing, Madie! Every year, your gifts always surprise me!"
Madeline had always put her heart into preparing his birthday gifts, which made them all the more special to Elias. While other people's gifts were casually bought, hers were always handcrafted.
Therefore, Elias had carefully kept all the birthday gifts from all these years. Madeline had once joked that since he treasured them so much, he might as well lock them in a safe.
Elias had laughed it off, never minding her jokes. "You don't understand, Madie. These gifts carry your love and I'll cherish them forever."
Yet now, all those memories felt like bitter irony. "Trust me. This year's surprise will definitely blow your mind."
Elias always held his birthday parties at home, inviting only close friends rather than business associates.
In the past, Madeline didn't fully understand the glances those friends gave her. Now, she finally did. Deep down, they had been mocking her all along, seeing her as nothing more than a fool.
As usual, their lively conversations quieted when she entered the room.
"Madie, are you hungry? I've warmed up some milk for you." Everyone watched this scene, mocking Elias for being henpecked.
Elias just laughed and agreed. "Call me whipped if you want. I don't mind as long as it's for Madie. What do you guys know about love?"
Still, some friends couldn't help but exchange knowing looks with Whitney, who stood nearby.
Later in the evening, Elias spoke in French to one of his friends. "Call me away in a bit. I need an excuse to leave. It's been a while since I've spent time with my little secretary and I've been missing her."
Everyone burst out laughing, a hint of pity in their eyes as they looked at Madeline.
