Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. For instance, you never used to eat oranges. And you hated the color pink, but you went and bought a whole\u00a0<\/p>\n
wardrobe of pink dresses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was shocked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Had she really changed that much? It sounded like she was a\u00a0<\/p>\n
different person altogether.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Wait\u2026 Another person?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Had she been possessed?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt like one of those novel plots where a protagonist\u00a0<\/p>\n
transmigrated or was reborn into a host body to complete a\u00a0<\/p>\n
mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maybe that was it. It was the only logical explanation for such a\u00a0<\/p>\n
drastic and sudden change in personality.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as Clarissa was about to speak, her phone rang.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHello, Roddy.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s deep voice came through the speaker. \u201cHi, Clarissa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is Madeleine with you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, she is. What\u2019s the matter?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick fell silent for a while.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then he said, \u201cDid she tell you she\u2019s lost her memory?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, she did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just an excuse to divorce me, Clarissa. She\u2019s even bought\u00a0<\/p>\n
plane tickets to go abroad with Edward.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing this, Clarissa widened her eyes at Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Had it all been an act?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine had no idea what was going on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had only seen Clarissa answer Roderick\u2019s call, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
expression shifting drastically before she stepped out onto the\u00a0<\/p>\n
balcony with the phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Clarissa returned after some time\u2013long enough for\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine to eat two oranges\u2013she looked deeply preoccupied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened, Mom? What did Roderick want?\u201d Madeleine\u00a0<\/p>\n
asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa\u2019s gaze was complex and slightly strained. Her eyes, slightly unfocused, rested on Madeleine for a long moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing important. Roddy was just checking to see if you were\u00a0<\/p>\n
here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine curled her lip.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRicki\u2019s so paranoid.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa sat down in silence, her mind a whirlwind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick had claimed that Madeleine\u2019s amnesia was a ruse and\u00a0<\/p>\n
that she had already decided to go to Phelrania to find Edward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa had been suspicious. After all, the Madeleine of today acted exactly like the girl from eight years ago, just as she\u00a0<\/p>\n
would if she had truly lost her memory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick hadn\u2019t explained much, only asking her not to confront Madeleine and to wait until the next day to see if she would\u00a0<\/p>\n
actually go to Phelrania.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was genuinely astonished by Harold\u2019s exceptional\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
cooking. The table was laden with dishes, each one more\u00a0<\/p>\n
delicious than the last, and she couldn\u2019t decide where to begin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYum!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She held the fork in her right hand and gave Harold a\u00a0<\/p>\n
continuous stream of thumbs\u2013up with the other hand, which\u00a0<\/p>\n
pleased him so much that he broke into a hearty grin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, the doorbell rang, and Madeleine stood up to answer\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her world seemed to crumble when she saw the pretty little girl,\u00a0<\/p>\n
about eight years old, standing at the door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tears welled up in her eyes as she turned around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDad, Mom, did you think I was a lost cause, so you found a\u00a0<\/p>\n
replacement?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t be ridiculous,\u201d Clarissa said, stepping forward. She took\u00a0<\/p>\n
the little girl\u2019s hand and gently led her inside. \u201cThis is Mina, your\u00a0<\/p>\n
uncle\u2019s daughter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s eyes widened as she stared at the adorable child.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How had her uncle managed to have such a beautiful daughter?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then it dawned on her\u2013her aunt was a renowned beauty. The\u00a0<\/p>\n
little girl must have taken all her looks from her mother.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her cousin was called Minerva Hatfield, aged seven. Her\u00a0<\/p>\n
parents were abroad on business, so she had been living with\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harold and Clarissa during the school term for the past two\u00a0<\/p>\n
years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
From the moment she stepped inside, Minerva\u2019s gaze remained\u00a0<\/p>\n
fixed on Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you Madeleine?\u201d she asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine grinned and nodded eagerly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s right.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Minerva was as adorable as Kevin, the kind of child who could\u00a0<\/p>\n
instantly win anyone\u2019s heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
To her utter surprise, Minerva\u2019s face darkened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cClarissa, Harold, why did you let Madeleine in? What if she\u00a0<\/p>\n
makes you angry and gets you sick again?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, Minerva spread her arms and stood protectively in\u00a0<\/p>\n
front of Clarissa.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t you hurt Clarissa! Come at me if you dare!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The grin on Madeleine\u2019s face froze. It was becoming painfully clear just how terribly she must have behaved all these years\u2014 even a little girl seemed to despise her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa guided Minerva to the dining table. \u201cIt\u2019s alright, Mina. Maddie knows she was wrong and has come to apologize.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cApologize? Her?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Minerva gave Madeleine a look of pure skepticism.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way. Clarissa, Harold, she\u2019s lied to you countless times. Why would you still believe her? Don\u2019t be fools.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hearing this, Clarissa could only sigh inwardly, reminded of\u00a0<\/p>\n
what Roderick had said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Perhaps she was a fool. But Madeleine was her daughter, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
own flesh and blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
More than anyone, she clung to the hope that the real\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine would someday return\u2013that sweet, sensible girl she\u00a0<\/p>\n
once knew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter B\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u2019s storytelling style is immersive and addictive\u2014perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.<\/p>\n
Night Carved Paths Into Silence by Zyrel Ash 7 Chapter 7\u00a0 \u201cYes. For instance, you never used to eat oranges. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-heart-surgeons-last-patient-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29225\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}