Nicholas Hawkins caught Madeleine Riley's silence and hesitated before finally saying, "You've lost a lot of weight." His hair fell in those charming curls over his eyes, his sharp features doing their usual trick. The coldness that normally lived in his gaze seemed softer now, almost tender. If he were a dog, you'd swear he was wagging his tail.
But all of it was just an act—a ploy to mess with Jacqueline. And while Nicholas was still fully invested in his little performance, Madeleine was over it. She gave him a flat look and asked out of nowhere, "Are you still planning to marry me?"
Nicholas was caught off guard, a faint helpless smile tugging at his lips. "You've been through so much for me, sweetheart. How could I ever leave you now?"
The image of the bracelet wrapped around Jacqueline's wrist flashed through Madeleine's mind, and any warmth in her eyes went ice-cold. Nicholas never had any intention of marrying her. Everything he did was just to get under Jacqueline's skin.
Such a devoted act—and yet here he was, still playing his part. Madeleine was done with the charade.
"But I don't want this anymore. Nicholas, let's break up."
She didn't wait for his stunned reaction. She hung up and immediately blocked him on every platform.
Before he could even think of reaching out again, she texted her brother, Ethan Silva: "Can you dig into what Nicholas and Jacqueline were up to last month?"
Once the message was sent, Madeleine turned to stare out the window, feeling strangely detached. She wasn't the type to forgive easily; she believed in payback. Nearly having her whole life ruined over some stupid bet? That wasn't something she'd just let slide.
Meanwhile, inside the villa, Nicholas sat there with a cold expression, lips pressed tight, unable to wrap his head around the fact that Madeleine had blocked him everywhere.
The people around him exchanged confused looks.
"Isn't Madeleine just getting past a rough patch? What's she stirring up now? Because you forgot her birthday gift?" someone asked.
Nicholas frowned slightly. Madeleine had always been easy to sway. No matter what he did, a few sweet words were always enough to calm her down. He'd expected the messages he left while she was gone to soften her up—but instead, she asked for a breakup.
Could this really be about the birthday gift for Jacqueline?
Someone voiced what many were thinking: "Don't sweat it. Madeleine's been chasing after you for so long. Just leave her alone for a few days, and she'll come running back."
"Besides, who else would want someone with her reputation?" another added.
Nicholas had actually been leaning toward going after her, but his resolve started to crack as his friends' words hit too close to home. Yeah, how many guys would really want a woman with a reputation like that? He'd spoiled her too much. That's why she was acting out and blocking him.
Nicholas decided he'd let Madeleine learn her lesson—completely unaware of just how much mess he'd stirred up.
Already worn out from life's recent punches, Madeleine somehow managed to get a rare deep sleep after washing up.
In her dream, she was back to the time she first got adopted. The panic and unease she felt at the Silva household was so overwhelming that even her favorite toys couldn't comfort her.
She cried her eyes out, clutching a teenager's clothes, holding on for dear life. The boy's face was blurry in her memory, but she kept calling him "Brother Vic."
When she woke up, the morning sun was bright. Madeleine broke into a light sweat, rubbing her temples. That dream again. Every time she was troubled, she dreamt of "Brother Vic." But no matter how much she asked around, there was no "Brother Vic" in the Silva family.
Who exactly was this "Brother Vic"?
Her thoughts were interrupted by a notification. Madeleine saw that her property transfer was complete. She quickly listed it for sale online. Once the money came through, she'd have enough to start fresh in London.
With that handled, she got a call from the HR department at Riley Corporation. "We heard you're back from your break. Could you come in for a project handover meeting?" they asked.
Madeleine agreed.
Ever since graduation, she'd worked at Riley Corporation. During her leave, her family had said she was on a break to cover up the whole scandal.
When she got to the company, she was called straight to the chairman's office, where her father, John Riley, sat behind his desk. Across from him was Jacqueline Riley, radiating her usual fake charm.
John handed Madeleine a stack of documents, motioning for her to open them. "Your performance review," he said.
When she unfolded the folder, the words "Not Qualified" screamed back at her.
A flicker of bitter amusement passed through Madeleine's heart as her voice went cold. "What does this mean?"
John cleared his throat, his tone flat. "This is your evaluation for the managerial promotion. You didn't pass. The company has decided not to promote you. Instead, Jacqueline will take your position and lead future projects."
Madeleine leafed through the documents, noticing that every single criterion was marked satisfactory—yet the conclusion said otherwise.
"Sister, don't be upset with Dad," Jacqueline said sweetly, taking the report from Madeleine's hands. "How could Riley Corporation let someone with a tarnished record become a manager? Think about Dad's intentions. I'll be stepping in, but I'll definitely need your guidance. We're family after all. It shouldn't matter who's sitting in the manager's seat, right, sister?"
Hearing that, Madeleine's lips curled into a mocking smile. Her situation had been the perfect setup for Jacqueline all along.
Jacqueline, always the schemer, had probably orchestrated the whole bet with Nicholas just to secure that manager position. And now she'd gotten exactly what she wanted.
But Madeleine had no intention of letting her enjoy that victory for long.
