Just as John and Sarah Riley handed over the keys to a freshly staged house—along with a sleek black credit card—to Jacqueline Riley, Madeleine Riley settled into her seat and spoke up.
"Dad, Mom—when I came back to the Riley family, you promised to make up for the ten years I missed. You also said you'd give me the estate on the west side of town. Today's my birthday, and since you just handed Jacqueline a house, why not transfer the west-side property to me?" She looked around with a slight smile. "It's just a piece of land—surely that's not too much to ask?"
The Rileys blinked, caught flat-footed. It was the first time Madeleine had ever openly stood her ground. How petty, they thought. All these years, she'd never once seemed to measure up to Jacqueline.
John recovered quickly, frowning. "That property was always meant for Jacqueline. If something better comes along, I'll consider it for you."
Madeleine didn't flinch at his vague promise. "That land was originally a gift from Grandfather—meant for the Riley children. Jacqueline isn't blood, after all, while I'm your real daughter. If you don't pass it to me, Uncle might have something to say." She drew a slow breath, keeping her composure. "Surely you don't want people thinking you neglect your own daughter?"
Jacqueline blanched at the words "not blood." But what truly rattled her was the land itself—it was the most significant gift she'd ever receive from the Rileys. She'd already bragged about it, and half the wealthy young women in her circle were eating their hearts out with envy. If word got out that she'd overstated it, the humiliation would be brutal.
"Dad…" Jacqueline pleaded.
But Madeleine knew John valued his reputation too much to hand Uncle any ammunition, so she stayed calm. Sure enough, before Jacqueline could finish, John—reluctantly forcing a smile—cut her off. He turned to Madeleine. "Of course I love you. If you want it, I'll have the secretary transfer the land to you later."
"Alright," Madeleine replied lightly, lowering her gaze, though a hint of irony lingered in her eyes. She set down her fork, noticing their sudden lack of appetite. "I'm done. Take your time."
She was about to leave when her father called her back. John's expression darkened as he frowned. "I've decided to let Jacqueline stand in for you in the engagement to the Hawkins family. Jacqueline is also a daughter of the Riley family—you're the same. If we hadn't brought you back, this engagement would have been hers. You took it from her, and now it's time to return it."
Madeleine wasn't surprised at all. She'd seen this coming. Of course the Rileys would use her tarnished reputation as the perfect excuse to push Jacqueline into the marriage.
"But sister—haven't you always liked Nicholas?" Jacqueline feigned surprise, covering her mouth. "Besides, Nicholas and I are like siblings. How could I possibly marry him?"
Madeleine scoffed inwardly. Over the years, Jacqueline had called every man she met "sibling." From childhood, her free-spirited, boundary-less charm had a way of drawing in accomplished men—Nicholas being the most prominent of them all. The only reason Jacqueline was turning down this marriage now was because Nicholas's grandmother disapproved. If Nicholas ever won the old lady over, securing a proper engagement, Jacqueline wouldn't hesitate.
Madeleine pulled her hand back, a mocking smile playing on her lips. "Who says siblings can't get close—or get married?"
Seeing Jacqueline's face pale slightly, she glanced at her father. "Regarding the engagement, as long as the Hawkins family agrees, I have no objection to switching."
With that, she was done dealing with both of them. She left without another word.
Back in her room, Madeleine opened her laptop. She'd been offline for a month, and the moment she logged in, messages flooded the screen one after another:
[Dear wife, I've missed you ever since you left on your business trip…]
[Fifth day, I miss you…]
[Once you're back, let's get married.]
…
There were 99 messages in total.
All of them from Nicholas Hawkins.
While she'd been in solitary reflection, he was playing the role of a devoted lover online. Had she not stumbled onto the truth by accident, she might've been swept away by all the emotion.
Madeleine coolly replied with a single message: "I'm back."
The next instant, Nicholas's video call came through. The moment she answered, his voice poured out: "I missed you so much, Madeleine."
She stayed silent. Even now, she couldn't tell whether Nicholas's affection was genuine, or if he'd unknowingly convinced himself he had feelings for her.
Publicly aloof, privately tender.
In private, he went to great lengths to win her over. Every time he'd sneak up behind her, calling her "wife" in that soft voice, it melted the cold shell around her heart, drawing her in.
"Madeleine, did you miss me?"
