Chapter 506

Rushed steps drew close from behind, followed by Eloise’s trembling voice.

She could almost guess what for as the contents of the video must have been shocking to Eloise and Sean.

Madeline turned around slowly, planning to deal with them coldly. However, she was hugged by Eloise before she could do anything.

“My daughter!” Eloise sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Eveline… Mom is so sorry!”

She apologized repeatedly while Sean’s eyes reddened as he watched from the side, having run over with his wife.

The video showed a wretched-looking Meredith torturing a battered Madeline.

They could not bring themselves to think of the scene.

Yet the harder they tried to suppress it, the more that brutal scene emphasized the difficulty and hurt Madeline had suffered.

Her parents had been defending that monster while she suffered.

Sean sighed deeply as he took in Madeline’s cool expression and patted Eloise’s shoulder.

“Let’s not make it more difficult for our daughter, Ellie. Give her some time. I’m sure there’ll come a day when our family would be reunited.”

Eloise let go of Madeline reluctantly and wiped away her tears. “Meredith is abominable! How could she do that to Eveline? She hit her so much that she coughed out blood! My heart hurts, Sean. It hurts…”

Sean swallowed, eyes red. “So does mine.”

Madeline felt touched as she took in Eloise and Sean’s heartbroken expressions.

She was still human after all, and while resentment poked her heart like a thorn, they were still her parents.

While she was hesitating if she should speak, Jeremy’s face appeared in her field of vision.

The man approached her from the front, his tall figure oozing with nobility. “Could you spare me a moment, Linnie? I’d like to talk to you about something.”

Eloise and Sean looked up at Jeremy, shared a look, then turned to leave.

Letting the warmth of spring envelop him, Jeremy walked to stand in front of Madeline. “You asked me at the crime scene when you were first accused of killing Brittany but was acquitted why I employed an attorney to get rid of your charges. As confident as I was, I told you that even if you were to die, it would be by my means. That was a lie.”

The corners of his lips tugged boyishly before he broke into a self-deprecating chuckle.

“The truth was that I didn’t want anything to happen to you. I knew that you were innocent.”

“Hah.” Madeline scoffed humorlessly at his reply.

She was about to open her mouth when she heard the man speak again. “I kissed you then, not because I was willing to sell myself to protect Meredith but because you said you accused yourself of being blind for falling for a man like me.”

“…” Madeline’s expression shifted, but she recognized the affectionate tint in Jeremy’s smile.

“I didn’t want to hear you say that you didn’t love me, so I covered your mouth in such a way. I was happy though because while you told me you didn’t love me anymore, your reaction told me that you still did. Just like the kiss we had in your apartment the other day.”

“…” The conversation was steering into dangerous territory. “What are you trying to say, Jeremy?”

The man’s lips curled into a gentle smile as his eyes sparkled with a tint of mirth. “You still have me in your heart, Linnie.”

“Don’t kid yourself, Jeremy Whitman.” Madeline scoffed. “I can tell you with certainty that I will be bringing Jack when I leave with Felipe and I’m not coming back. Love you? Sure, in the past, but that’s all it’ll ever be. The past.”

Jeremy’s eyes dimmed as his heart ached silently, but his lips pulled into a confident smile. “Would you dare to bet, Linnie?”