Chapter 206

The library closed at ten every night.

Madelyn arrived at the library at seven o’clock in the evening, and there were still a few people inside.

She sat in her usual spot near the window and opened her workbook.

Eventually, the lights in the library went off one by one. The librarian approached her and said, “Hey, the library’s closing now.”

Madelyn was not surprised that Forrest did not come.

Only after leaving the school did she remember that her home was under renovation. Her maids and driver were all not at home and the last bus had already left.

So, Madelyn could only take a taxi back to the apartment.

She only arrived at the apartment close to eleven at night.

When she raised her head to look, the lights on the twelfth floor were all switched off. She thought all of them were probably sleeping.

Madelyn then took the elevator. When she entered the door lock code, it showed it was incorrect. She tried three times, and it was still wrong.

She thought, ‘Why is it incorrect?

‘It was just one to six in sequence.

‘Did they change it?’

Madelyn took her phone out. But then she remembered Rosario did not have a phone. And she did not know Zach’s apartment landline number. Madelyn did not want to call Jadie. She then stared at the last few digits that she keyed in…

After not moving for a few seconds, the motion-activated lights in the corridor went off.

There was only the light emitting from her phone. Madelyn hesitated for a while before deciding not to disturb them.

She thought, ‘It’s eleven now.

‘I should just stay in a hotel for tonight.’

Madelyn then turned around and left. She stood at the elevator and pressed the button to go downstairs. When the elevator was about to arrive, the phone in her pocket suddenly vibrated.

She took it out and saw the caller’s name, hesitating to answer the call, but did so anyway.

She heard a harsh voice from the phone, “Where are you?”

Madelyn took a deep breath and said, “I’m at the door…”

After a short while, she heard the door open.

Madelyn hesitated before walking back and going inside. As she entered the living room, she saw Zach in dark-colored striped sleepwear standing in front of the refrigerator pouring. himself a glass of water.

She wanted to walk right past him to her room.

An unhappy voice came from behind her, “You came back so late. Where did you go?”

Madelyn could sense the unfriendly aura behind her. She responded, “I don’t have to explain anything to you.”

She walked into her room and turned on a desk lamp. Jadie heard the movement and woke up, asking groggily, “Why’d you come back so late?”

“I had something to do at school.”

“Okay…” Jadie then turned to the other side and fell back asleep, hugging her pink toy bear.

Madelyn put down her backpack. She saw two cups of milk on the table, one still full, the other half-

empty.

She then went to the bathroom and took a quick shower before going to bed.

When her alarm went off the next morning, Madelyn felt like she had not slept a wink. She felt light-

headed and her nose was stuffy, with heavy dark circles under her eyes too, as she had not rested well last night.

Rosario knew Madelyn had to get up early to go for the morning self-study session, so she woke up at four-thirty in the morning to make breakfast.

When she saw Madelyn walk out of her room, she was shocked. “You poor child, what happened to you? What time did you come back last night?”

Madelyn squinted as she opened the fridge, “Around eleven at night. Rosario, is there any milk left?”

Rosario responded, “Just sit down. The pancakes are almost ready. Mr. Jardin went for a morning jog.

He’ll be back soon.