Chapter 81

Zach was contemplating where she might be hiding. However, before long, Jadie’s voice broke the silence, directing Zach’s attention to a figure standing near a large truck. “Zach, look! It’s Madelyn,”

Jadie exclaimed, her voice tinged with both surprise and concern.

Slowing down the vehicle, Zach saw Madelyn getting into the vehicle.

“Goodness gracious, why is Madelyn leaving with strangers? Has something happened to her? Should we contact the police?” Jadie’s words tumbled out in a rush, her concern palpable.

Zach averted his eyes, a contemplative silence enveloping him as he focused on the task of driving.

“No need,” he finally replied, his voice subdued.

“Are you saying we should we just leave her be like that?”

Zach remained silent, his attention steadfastly fixed on the road ahead.

As the truck accelerated, its tires kicking up a cloud of dust, the distance between them and Madelyn swiftly expanded. Jadie could sense the car picking up speed, and a part of her longed for Zach to slow down, if only for a moment. Yet, she understood that he was determined to pursue the truck, leaving her no choice but to endure the increasingly intense ride.

As their car approached the traffic light, it abruptly switched from green to red, signaling them to stop.

Zach, however, made a bold decision to run the red light, racing through the intersection. Yet, as he skillfully maneuvered around the corner, they were met with a disheartening sight-the truck they had been chasing had vanished without a trace.

“Zach, we’ve lost them. What do we do now?” Jadie’s voice quivered with uncertainty. She looked at Zach in a panic only to see his eyes were gloomy and sent a chill down her spine.

Zach’s mind swirled with a blend of frustration and suspicion. ‘Madelyn Jent, what kind of games are you playing this time!?’

Meanwhile, inside the truck, Madelyn stole a quick glance at the rearview mirror, her heart pounding with a sense of relief. They had successfully evaded Zach’s pursuit.

How she wished she could let Zach realize that she had not been lying from the very beginning when she had said she wanted to leave. She had learned a lesson on the matter of Jadie. So, she hoped that in view of their friendship, Zach would stop thinking about her.

It had hurt to be beaten once again.

Madelyn was fortunate to encounter a kind-hearted couple, a long-distance delivery driver and his wife, who were more than willing to offer her a ride. Explaining her situation to them, Madelyn lied to them that she had engaged in a heated argument with her father and was now determined to search for her long-lost mother. Sympathetic to her plight, the couple readily agreed to let her join them on their journey.

After a forty-minute drive, Madelyn found herself standing in front of the decrepit old building. Expressing her gratitude and bidding the couple farewell, Madelyn embarked on her solitary path. Relying on her memory, she navigated through the desolate streets, which emitted a noxious odor emanating from the nearby sewers.

Soon, she found a very familiar sign and stopped in front of that building.

There were no elevators in this building, and she had to take the stairs to get to the sixth floor.

Along the way, Madelyn had lost a slipper and so she limped as she walked, and her knees still hurt a little.

Finally, she found the house number she was looking for.

She then found the key under the flowerpot on the balcony facing the door.

“Hello, who are you? Why have I never seen you before?” A forty-odd year-old woman suddenly walked out from one of the other units, with a basin of clothes in hand.

“My mother is living here. I’m here to look for her,” Madelyn replied.

“You’re Rosario’s daughter? Oh, what a good girl. To think that she has such a pretty daughter. Why haven’t I heard her speak of you before? What’s your name, little girl?”

“I’m Madelyn Jent, ma’am.”

“Oh, oh, a good name. Have you eaten yet? How about you join me?”

“Thank you, but I’ll have to decline. I’m a bit tired and want to rest a little. I’m waiting for my mother to come back.”

“Oh, okay. Remember to come over my place and play some time.”

“Okay.”

Madelyn walked into the apartment and found it well organized, although somewhat rudimentary. There was no living room, only a bed and a bathroom. The nicer part of the apartment unit was that it had a balcony.