Even though they had not seen each other in seven to eight years, she still couldn’t stop her heart from racing. Despite being flustered, she was unable to contain her anticipation. Norton soon came to a stop in front of her.
At first glance, Norton still looked the same as before. She couldn’t help but notice that he had aged. over time. His cheekbones were now more prominent, and his hair had turned partially white.
Lorraine felt her heart sink when she noticed he was gazing at her frostily. When Mildred showed up, Lorraine swallowed the words at the tip of her tongue. Two years ago, Mildred came to boast that her daughter would be marrying into an influential family in the south.
Meanwhile, Mildred was similarly at a loss for words when she saw Lorraine. She had expected Lorraine to look ill and much older after being abandoned, but to her shock, Lorraine looked elegant and even a few years younger than her. Fury flashed across her eyes as she glared at Lorraine.
“It’s been a while,” Norton greeted Lorraine. His gaze flickered with a hint of emotion, but it quickly vanished. A bitter smile played on Lorraine’s lips as she shook her head. “I’m sorry, but who are you? Did you come to the wrong place?”
She knew playing dumb was a childish act, but the sight of the man she once loved standing next to his seemingly perfect wife was the last thing she wanted to see. Lorraine couldn’t help but remember Madilyn’s advice.
The man had been cruel enough to break their wedding vows and abandon both her and their child for his own selfish interests. Hence, she didn’t bother being nice to him.
As it seemed that Lorraine didn’t welcome them, Mildred flew into a rage and barked angrily, “Lorraine Xander, stop putting up an act. You might’ve changed a lot, but it’s still possible to recognize you. We’re here to discuss something important. It doesn’t matter whether or not you welcome us, for we must talk today!”
At five in the evening, Madilyn finally wrapped up her work. She went down the stairs, feeling exhausted. She spotted Jonathan waiting for her with a bouquet of roses in his hand. The sight of him hurrying over to her filled her with warmth, and she couldn’t help but smile, feeling her exhaustion begin to fade away.
“Dr. Xander, Mr. Queen, you’re a couple now? Oh, this is great. You’re a perfect match!” “Congratulations, Dr. Xander! Your wish has finally come true. Mr. Queen proved to be a capable man when he helped us solve our crisis previously. That was quite manly of him!”
“Wow! Is Dr. Xander dating Mr. Queen for real? That’s great! Congratulations, you lovebirds. When are you getting married?”
Madilyn and Jonathan were greeted by smiling medical staff who were getting off work, wishing them well and giving their blessings.
Madilyn wasn’t shy at all even though they were the center of attention. She extended her hand and allowed Jonathan to take it, a joyful smile playing on her lips.
“Come, let’s go pick Mdm. Xander up. We’ll be. eating something delicious tonight,” Jonathan told her. He had already reserved a table at a restaurant tonight. As they approached his car, Jonathan opened the door for Madilyn like a true gentleman, waiting for her to get in before. he took his place behind the wheel.
Holding the roses, Madilyn was overwhelmed with happiness. Before he could start the engine, she suddenly said, “Come nearer!”
“What’s the matter?” Jonathan asked, confused. He moved closer to her, assuming something was wrong with the roses.
In an instant, her lips landed on his right cheek, leaving a faint pink mark. Jonathan was taken aback at Madilyn’s sudden action, but he quickly regained his composure and scratched his head awkwardly. A silly grin graced his face as he realized what had happened. After the kiss, Madilyn felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment.
“Come on, let’s go home and pick my mom up!” she urged. Jonathan inclined his head. He then started the engine and drove out of the hospital. They soon arrived at Madilyn’s neighborhood. From afar, Jonathan noticed the gates were wide open. Confusion flashed across his eyes.
He sped up and drove into the courtyard. A sense of foreboding rose within him, so he started glancing around after getting out of the car. However, Lorraine was nowhere to be seen.
“Mdm. Xander? Mdm. Xander!” he called out. From the corner of his eye, he noticed an overturned pot of flowers. Madilyn had yet to realize what was going on. As she exited the car, she casually called out to her mother, “Mom? Mom! Didn’t I ask you to get prepared ahead of time? Are you having trouble deciding what to wear again?”
When they went out for dinner previously, Lorraine spent a lot of time picking out her outfit as she didn’t want to embarrass Madilyn and Jonathan. “Maddy, go upstairs and find out what’s going on!” Jonathan’s brows furrowed.
He noticed some peculiar dents on the ground that appeared to have been created by a walking stick. Noticing her boyfriend’s grave expression, Madilyn quickly put her guard up and hurried up the stairs. They scoured every inch of the house, both indoors and outdoors, but Lorraine was nowhere to be seen.
Shock struck Madilyn like a bolt of lightning. She tried calling Lorraine’s phone, but it was in the living room.
“What happened?” She grew flustered. Jonathan remained calm. The mansion was situated in the city, and with surveillance cameras scattered throughout the area, it was seldom targeted by thieves.
After entering the mansion, he noticed that none of the valuable items were missing. Lorraine’s purse was still on the coffee table in the living room.
Thus, they could eliminate the possibility of thieves or robbers. Jonathan pondered over it before deciding to check the surveillance footage on the third floor. Madilyn hurried after him.
The surveillance footage showed Lorraine engaged in a heated argument with Mildred, following which Norton directed his bodyguards to forcibly take Lorraine away with them. Madilyn froze at the sight.
After what seemed like an eternity, her fury finally sprang to live. She took deep breaths as her chest heaved. “I-It’s that b*stard! How dare he abduct my mom? D*mn it!”
Jonathan instantly recognized that man. The man was Madilyn’s biological father, whom she hated so much that she never wanted to talk about. He’s the man who abandoned his wife and daughter so that he could marry someone else to advance his personal interests.
“He’s Norton Sheffield, the chairman of Southern Star Group in Xandenia. You must have heard of him before. After all, he’s quite a famous figure in the business world. But to me, he’s nothing more than a piece of trash!”
Madilyn gritted her teeth as her eyes turned bloodshot. The woman who accompanied Norton was Mildred Hinton from the Hinton family, the despicable bully who used her power to oppress Madilyn and Lorraine in the past.
After learning about Madilyn’s birth, Mildred identified her as Norton’s illegitimate child and viewed her as a curse. Due to that, Madilyn was deprived of a normal childhood and couldn’t even attend school like the other kids. Mildred tampered with their lives, determined to drive Madilyn and Lorraine away.
On top of that, Mildred would even bring her two daughters over to Madilyn and Lorraine’s house to bully them and destroy their belongings.
When Madilyn was still a child, Norton had come to visit a few times and gave them money, but Mildred would forcibly snatch the money away from them..
Fortunately, Madilyn had always been strong and independent. Lorraine worked hard doing manual labor to support her daughter’s education. By the time Madilyn reached high school, she also started taking up odd jobs to pay for her own tuition fees.
When it was time for Madilyn to further her studies, Lorraine decided to let the former enroll in a university in Horington so that she could stay away from Xandenia. That way, her life would be free from disturbances.
Lorraine, on the other hand, continued to suffer from mental torture for years, and such a condition had taken a toll on her health. Yet, Norton did not appear to offer any assistance.
It was not until Madilyn brought Lorraine to Horington that Roxanne was able to save her life. Jonathan knew who Norton was, as he was quite an influential figure.
The fact that he was able to expand his business in the challenging environment of Xandenia was an impressive feat, and his achievement earned him a place as one of the top ten businessmen in the country.
However, Jonathan did not see eye to eye with his methods and tactics for running a business. Running a business in Xandenia was like walking a tightrope, so that was why many transactions were done under the table.
“Why? Why did you have to take my mom away? Norton, Mildred, why are you still haunting us when we’ve clearly been avoiding you?” Madilyn bellowed in anger.
Yet, her anger soon turned to a feeling of helplessness. Jonathan’s expression turned grim. He grabbed Madilyn’s hand, pulled her into his arms, and embraced her tightly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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