Madelyn went to her room, took off her dirty clothes, and stood in front of her wardrobe, trying to decide what to wear. Through the thin wall, she could hear Zach's voice from outside."I have urgent business at the company this time. If I finish early, I'll come back to you," Zach said.Jadie replied understandingly, "I'm okay, Zach. Go take care of your business. I'll wait for you here.""Okay. If you get tired, you can sleep in my room. I just changed the sheets and blankets.""Alright, I'll remember that."After Zach's footsteps faded away, Madelyn thought he had left. But suddenly, the door swung open, and she got startled. Madelyn blushed and held her dress close. Zach stood by the door, briefly looking at her before averting his gaze. Madelyn, who was eighteen, had a nice figure compared to other girls her age.Madelyn felt nervous. In her previous life, they had been married for years, shared countless intimate moments; there was no part of her that Zach had not seen. Bu

One evening, a soft breeze came in through the open window and woke up Madelyn. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and noticed that it was already dark outside.Then, she heard quick footsteps and Jadie saying sorry over and over again in the hallway. Madelyn became fully awake and realized something had happened.Getting out of bed, she felt the cold floor beneath her bare feet as she walked to the door to see what was going on. She squinted in the dim light and was surprised to see Zach standing there."Brother, you finished your work for the day?" Madelyn asked.Zach had come back home an hour before she fell asleep, and he had taken Jadie to the mall. But when he returned, he noticed that something was missing from his room – Madelyn's gift to him, a teddy bear.Jadie stood there, her eyes teary. "Madelyn..."Zach stood in front of Jadie with a serious look in his eyes, but there was also a touch of coldness. "Madelyn, I'm sorry. I accidentally broke the teddy bear you gave me. Jadie

Madelyn was dressed in her high school uniform. The Ventrocloud High School uniform wasn't like the usual baggy uniforms in most schools. Instead, it was a sophisticated black ensemble that looked very authoritative. Even her shoes and backpack were different from the regular ones. They were made of exclusive material to stand out from the common ones.Just across the street from Ventrocloud High School was another school called Ventropolis High School. It was also highly respected. The students at Ventropolis were known for being very smart and were seen as the future leaders of the nation. On the other hand, the students at Ventrocloud often relied on their family's wealth and status. The two schools had different social statuses, and they had a long history of not getting along with each other. They didn't like each other and had a rivalry that had been going on for years.Among the many vehicles, Madelyn caught sight of Zach's Audi. The car halted in front of Ventropolis High Sch

Madelyn was in Class Six at Ventrocloud High School, which was on the sixth floor. Students had a special elevator to use. The classes started at nine in the morning.When Madelyn arrived at her classroom, she saw some familiar faces, but she didn't know most of her classmates. The bell rang, signaling the start of class. Hurrying, she found her seat from memory. As she was about to put down her backpack, she noticed some students looking at her and whispering."That's Forrest Arnold's seat. She's got some guts sitting there.""She was on sick leave for a few days. Did she go mad or something?"'What? Forrest?' Madelyn looked at the clean desk in front of her, immediately standing up. 'How can this be Forrest's seat? I've always been in the second-to-last row. Am I not?'Forrest Arnold, her sworn enemy, was the school bully that no one dared to mess with. Madelyn rarely had any interaction with him. But when she did, it was always because Forrest had a bone to pick with her. No sp

Each class at school lasted for 45 minutes. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson, Madelyn walked to the back of the classroom. She quietly picked up Forrest's desk and put his scattered books neatly back into his drawer. Her classmates were surprised and whispered to each other in astonishment."No way! Madelyn, who always acts high and mighty, is actually picking up books for Forrest? Has something happened to her?""I can't believe my eyes! Madelyn, who never talks to anyone, is now helping Forrest? Am I seeing things?"Someone discreetly took a photo of Madelyn's unexpected act of kindness and anonymously shared it on the school forum.Ignoring the buzz around her, Madelyn focused on tidying Forrest's desk. 'Sure, I'm kind. Way too kind to get bothered by his temper,' she muttered to herself.Meanwhile, in the grimy alley behind the school, Timothy and Adrian were chatting about their plans for the night. Adrian was on his phone when he noticed a hot discussion t

Madelyn felt thankful that she had developed the love for learning in her past life. Now, at eighteen years old again, she felt confident about studying on her own at the library. She believed she could excel in her high school exams and get into a good university.Madelyn's strongest subjects were in liberal arts, but she struggled with science and math. Still, she had little time to focus on those subjects because she also had to manage cooking and piano classes.As she thought of her busy schedule, she appeared despondent as she sat by the floor-to-ceiling window in the library. She ran her fingers through her hair, feeling overwhelmed. However, she realized that dwelling on her problems wouldn't help, and she could better use her time to learn more vocabulary words. So, she pushed those thoughts aside and refocused on her studies.The library was usually quiet, with only a few students from Class One and Two visiting. During class hours, she had the entire library to herself, ex

Jasmine, with her curly hair swaying and high heels clicking, confidently approached Madelyn."What's wrong, Madelyn? Aren't you going to tell me what happened?" she asked, reaching out to Madelyn.Madelyn quickly moved away, her face showing a hint of a frown. Without saying a word, she picked up her lunchbox from the floor and turned to walk away.As she walked down the quiet hallway, her face seemed calm, but inside, she felt overwhelmed. She realized that people around her had hidden intentions. Zach had used her feelings for him, took advantage of her, and then abandoned her. Jasmine had pretended to be a caring stepmother, but she had secretly conspired with Zach to harm Hayson. Even Cecilia, who she once thought was her best friend, stole Zach from her.'I can't trust anyone. Everything around me is a lie,' Madelyn realized.In another building, Madelyn opened a lunchbox and cleaned it carefully. The foul, rusty smell hit her nose. As the tap water was running, she felt a s

"Yes. Our driver went to pick up Madelyn from school, but she never showed up. I've checked all her usual hangout spots, and she's nowhere to be found. I even called the police. Mr. Jardin, what should we do? You don't think something bad happened to her, do you?" Rosario sounded really worried.Zach gripped the steering wheel while tapping the buttons on his phone. "I hope nothing bad happened. Madelyn called me a little while ago, but I couldn't answer. I'll check her favorite places. I'll keep you posted if I find her.""Okay, okay."After hanging up, Zach put his phone aside. Jadie, who had been listening, looked concerned. "How could Madelyn just vanish like that? Do you think something happened?""Don't sweat it. She's probably gone off somewhere without letting anyone know. I'll drop you off at home first.""I can come with you to look for Madelyn."Zach shook his head, his voice sounding frosty. "No need. I might know where she is."Madelyn was known for being headstrong

Madelyn hadn't seen Zach's messages. Right now, every part of her body ached, the pain piercing to her bones. She could vaguely hear voices around her."Lucky she was brought in just in time, or the outcome could have been much worse. We've reset her ribs. It's best for her to stay in bed for the next few days. A few days in the hospital would be a good idea..."There was a moment of silence."Also, keep her diet light.""Alright, thank you, doctor," said the bodyguard in suit.After the doctor left, his phone started ringing. He answered it promptly, showing respect to the caller."How is she?" the caller sounded a bit distant.The bodyguard relayed Madelyn's condition in detail. "That's the situation, Miss Jent is out of danger now.""Find out who did it. Don't alert anyone. Bring me the culprit within three days. Whoever it is, they will pay." "And how will you handle this?" "I'll take care of it.""Okay."After the call, Madelyn thought she had heard Ethan's voice, bu

Madelyn had taken two painkillers and finally fell asleep. However, at three in the morning, she woke up covered in cold sweat and struggling to breathe.Her muffled sound of discomfort caught Zach's attention. He put aside his notebook and gently placed his hand on her forehead and cheek." Her temperature has dropped a lot. Looks like the fever's broken," Zach said to himself.Just then, Rosario entered the room carrying a tray of water. Upon seeing the scene, she spoke up, "Mr. Jardin, let me take care of her. You have work tomorrow, and you shouldn't tire yourself out." Internally, she thought, 'So Mr. Jardin did come after all.'Rosario knew that Zach didn't have romantic feelings for Madelyn, but he cared deeply for her, like a sister. 'He's always been so good to her.'"It's okay. Has she taken the painkillers?" Zach asked."Yeah, at ten," Rosario replied."We can't give her too much medication." Zach squeezed the damp towel from the washbasin and gently wiped the cold s