Chapter 935

Zach retrieved the ring from his suit pocket and tried to place it on Madelyn’s finger once more.

Madelyn reacted as if she had seen something terrifying, desperately trying to pull her hand away.

However, Zach’s firm grip prevented her from succeeding.

“This is the third and final time,” Zach warned sternly. “Do not remove it again, or you’ll be in trouble.”

“What else can you do besides threatening me?” Madelyn retorted.

Zach did not release Madelyn’s hand after putting the ring on her finger. He said, “I just want you to be good. I’ll be busy for a while, but I expect you to accompany me to the company’s annual meeting as the future Mrs. Jardin.”

Madelyn felt sweaty and anxious at Zach’s words. She said, “You’re crazy! Let Cecilia accompany you, not me!”

Madelyn had rarely appeared in the media. Even when her family was still influential, her father, Hayson, had protected her well by keeping her away from media scrutiny. She had her fair share of teenage rebellions. However, despite the occasional leaked photos of her at nightclubs, Hayson always managed to take care of it. But being asked to attend an event under such circumstances is something she could not do.

‘Zach never acknowledged me publicly in the previous life, so why now…’ Madelyn thought.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just stay by my side, and no one will bother you. Not even the media,”

Zach reassured Madelyn.

“I said I won’t go. Can’t you understand?!” Madelyn exclaimed in a sudden outburst of panic. As she tried to pull her hand away, her ring scratched his palm, drawing a bit of blood.

Zach clenched his fist on his knee, repressing his discomfort. He tried to persuade her, “The annual meeting will be a quick one. I just want to introduce you.”

“I won’t go,” Madelyn said with finality.

Even with her refusal, Madélyn knew Zach had hundreds of ways to make her attend. There was no escape.

Back at the Southern Haven Villas, Madelyn left the car without looking back. Zach, watching her retreat, glanced at his palm with the dried bloodstain. He muttered to himself, “Ungrateful.”

Kevin noticed the blood ón Zach’s hand and offered, “Mr. Jardin, we should do something about your hand,”

“It’s just a scratch,” Zach dismissed.

As Zach wrapped his hand in a white handkerchief, he realized that if things continued this way, he might end up sacrificing more than he could afford.

At the office, Zach tried to power up his laptop, but it flickered and went dead. Even with Kevin’s efforts, the screen remained black. Kevin became flustered and said, “This is a newly released device; after ten tests, there shouldn’t be any issues. I’ll have someone from the Information Technology Department come and take a look right away.”

Zach, taking off his jacket, said, “Ask if they can recover the contract data in it.”

“Yes, Mr. Jardin.”

The technician arrived and concluded that the system needed reinstallation, which could result in data loss.

“Is there no other way?” Zach asked, his voice growing colder.

Intimidated by Zach, the technician shook his head. Unless necessary, only a few people dared approach Zach directly. This is because it often resulted in reprimands or dismissals.

“There’s no other solution for now unless the critical documents have been backed up. The system reinstallation will wipe everything,” the technician explained.

“There shouldn’t be any issue after so many tests,” Zach pondered aloud.

“Mr. Jardin, do you think someone has tampered with your laptop?” Kevin asked.