Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 166
After a moment, he leaned over again, this time to Madeleine.
“Is your mom really going to set me up with someone?”
“Yeah.”
Madeleine nodded. “My mom has mentioned it a few times. So,
tell me your requirements.”
“Requirements…”
Bradley closed his eyes and thought for a moment. “Someone
younger, simpler, more lively… preferably with a short–fused
personality.”
“What’s a short–fused personality?”
“She blows up at the slightest thing.”
“Isn’t that just a firecracker? You’re a funny guy.”
Madeleine chuckled, but beside her, Roderick’s expression
darkened a bit.
When they got to the restaurant, Roderick told Madeleine to go
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in and order first, then pulled Bradley aside.
“What the hell are you up to?”
Bradley smiled innocently. “What am I doing? I’m the one paying.
to treat you two to dinner.”
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”
Roderick frowned.
“When Madeleine just asked for your requirements, wasn’t
every single one you mentioned the opposite of Charlotte?”
The moment Charlotte’s name was mentioned, Bradley’s
expression would change almost imperceptibly.
He leaned against the wall, pulled a pack of cigarettes from his
pants pocket, and offered one to Roderick.
Roderick pushed it away. “I quit a long time ago.”
“I’m jealous.”
Bradley grinned, stuck a cigarette in his mouth, and mumbled, “I
can’t quit.”
“Is it the cigarettes you can’t quit?
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It’s the person you can’t quit.”
Roderick frowned, “So, he realized the whole ‘stand–in‘ thing
wasn’t working, and now he’s trying other ways to get over her?”
Bradley took a drag from his cigarette and grinned again.
“You get me, man.”
“Get you, my ass!”
Roderick looked at him with utter disappointment, “If you like
her, then go after her. What are you doing here, playing the
brooding prince?”
“Chase her? What’s the point? She already has a boyfriend.”
After saying that, Bradley took another drag of his cigarette. As
the white smoke slowly drifted from his mouth, he spoke softly:
“What do you think… if I just stole her from him?”
Roderick pressed his lips together and didn’t say anything.
As his brother, of course he wanted what was best for Bradley.
But this was, after all, morally wrong, and he couldn’t bring himself to say anything supportive.
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A few seconds later, Roderick plucked the cigarette from his
mouth, turned, and stubbed it out in the trash can.
“Let’s go inside and eat. Don’t keep my wife waiting too long.”
After dinner, Bradley said he wanted to be alone for a while and
left early.
In the car, Madeleine texted Clarissa the list of girlfriend requirements Bradley had mentioned, and couldn’t help but
sigh.
“I never would’ve thought he was so deeply in love with Charlotte that he’d even resort to finding stand–ins.”
Roderick said irritably, “He’s just plain sick.”
“Why do you say that?”
“For years, he’s always had girls who look like Charlotte around him. He takes them out everywhere, throws tons of money at them, and wants nothing in return. If that’s not sick, what is?”
Madeleine was stunned. “He really is sick.”
At the end of the month, the bidding conference was
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approaching.
Edward had been busy for days, and returned to his office, his
head spinning.
Seeing the thoughtful lunch on his desk, he raised an eyebrow
and asked his assistant, “Was Fiona here?
Where is she.”
The assistant was taken aback.
“Miss Bell?
She hasn’t been here.”
“She wasn’t here?”
Edward frowned, his gaze falling on the lunchbox.
The assistant quickly explained, “Oh, that. The housekeeper
from your home just dropped it off. She said you’ve been too
busy to eat lately and was worried you’d hurt your stomach…”
Edward’s eyes darkened slightly. He waved his hand, dismissing
the assistant.
Returning to his desk, Edward sat down and stared at the
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lunchbox for a moment.
Come to think of it, he and Fiona hadn’t seen each other for
several days.
He took out his phone to send Fiona a message on Facebook
and noticed the little red dot on his moments, next to a familiar
profile picture.
As if by some strange impulse, Edward tapped on it.
Five minutes ago, Madeleine had posted something new on her
moments.
Madeleine: Happiness is eating lots and lots of meals with the
one you love!
The post was a nine–photo grid post of various dishes, with the
center picture clearly being a photo of her family of three at the
dinner table.
Edward narrowed his eyes, his finger hovering over the screen,
motionless for a long time.
He realized that seeing Madeleine in the photo stirred an
indescribable sense of discomfort within him.
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“Heh…”
Edward tossed his phone aside and started flipping through the
files his subordinates had compiled over the past few days,
most of which were about the Livingston Group.
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Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.