Chapter 380

Madelyn kept sleeping until night came. Then, she woke up to the sound of pages being flipped. She squinted her eyes and saw a person standing by her bedside. Ethan was wearing an off–white sweater, which showed the tattoo on his neck. The soft lighting of the room shined on his side profile. When he turned around, it was Zach’s face.

Madelyn was so frightened she woke up completely and jolted backward. When she saw Ethan’s face clearly, she sighed in relief.

Ethan shut his book and apologized, “Sorry for scaring you.”

Madelyn’s heart was still beating wildly, needing some time to calm down. She replied, “It’s fine. I just had a nightmare.” She brushed her hair and hugged her blanket while sitting on the bed.

She then asked, “How’d you come over?”

“I called you, but it wouldn’t go through. I assumed something had happened to you, so I came in to check. I saw that you were still asleep, so I thought I’d wait for you for a while,” Ethan answered.

Madelyn could see that he also had a blanket on him. Ethan smiled and explained to her, “It was a little cold, and I couldn’t find any comforters…”

Madelyn was worried and went to him, “Are your legs hurting again? Do you need me to massage them for you?”

Ethan grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him, “It’ll be warmer if you squeeze in. That way, it won’t hurt.”

Madelyn could feel her heart beating, but it was from nervousness this time, not fear. She leaned on his shoulder and hesitantly stretched her hand out to hug his waist.

‘This is just being in the same bed, right? That way, I won’t be lying to Hayson. I’ll do it just this one time,‘ Madelyn thought, She stared at the book on his lap and asked, “Is the book good?”

Ethan answered, “It’s okay. It’s about a love story during the Theila Union war era. Do you want to hear about it?”

“Mhm, let’s listen to it before having our dinner,” Madelyn replied.

The moonlight shone, and its silver rays melded into the dimly lit room. Ethan’s gentle and captivating voice narrated the story as he held onto Madelyn’s petite body. It was a heartwarming scene.

Back in Ventropolis, however, there was a totally different scene playing. Jadie did not understand the etiquette for business networking events or how to handle alcohol. Hence, she stayed in a quiet area near the dessert section. She saw Yvonne by Zach’s side and began doubting herself. She noticed Yvonne’s sarcastic and mocking expression when Yvonne looked at her. Jadie averted her gaze and pretended not to see it. Currently, she was just a clueless clown.

‘We’re the same age, yet she’s managed to stay by Zach’s side… I think I’ll never be able to be like Yvonne,‘ Jadie thought.

At that moment, a waiter carrying a tray walked up to Jadie and whispered something in her ear. Jadie hesitantly glanced at Zach, who was chatting with someone. In the end, Jadie agreed, “Fine.”

Jadie left the banquet hall in a decent gown and came to the swimming pool. She surveyed her surroundings and saw a few gentlemen talking with other ladies. There seemed to be nothing else around. The waiter before had clearly told her someone was looking for her.

As she walked by the swimming pool, she suddenly slipped on the slippery tiles and fell entirely into the swimming pool.

Not far away, a girl had a smug smile as she watched Jadie call for help while in the pool. She said, “Mr. Burton, it’s time for you to take the stage. It’d be such a shame if you missed such an opportunity.”

“Only you truly understand me,” Randall Burton said, gripping the woman’s chin. Randall was known for his preference for toying with women, especially gorgeous women. He had been eyeing Jadie ever since she entered the venue.

Randall jumped into the cold pool. Jadie thought she had found her savior just as she was about to drown, but…

Jadie panted heavily, finally able to breathe again. As her hands got closer to the edge of the swimming pool, she felt a hand