Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
She quickly turned her gaze away. Under Edward\u2019s startled\u00a0<\/p>\n
stare, she tilted her head as if she hadn\u2019t seen him at all and\u00a0<\/p>\n
walked right past.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s voice, sharp and edged with a frown, stopped her in\u00a0<\/p>\n
her tracks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d followed her deliberately, driven by a nagging need to figure out what this woman was playing at.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he\u2019d spotted her emerging from the bathroom, he\u2019d braced himself for her to rush toward him, all clingy and eager, just like she\u2019d been for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But before he could prepare himself, Madeleine shot him a withering glance and walked off without a backward glance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a first.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And Edward wasn\u2019t used to being ignored like that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat game are you playing?\u201d His tone dripped with irritation,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
his patience fraying.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That little scene had been\u2026 bizarre.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine stopped, bewildered by his accusation. She turned,\u00a0<\/p>\n
sizing him up with a cool, appraising look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you are\u2026 who, exactly? Do we know each other?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s temper, which had been simmering, sputtered out in\u00a0<\/p>\n
an instant. For a split second, Edward almost looked at a loss.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took him a beat to recover, his eyes narrowing as he regained\u00a0<\/p>\n
his composure.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat, playing hard to get now? Cute. Did you drag your\u00a0<\/p>\n
husband here just to see if I\u2019d get jealous?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward let out a derisive chuckle. \u201cStill the same self\u2013important brat you were as a kid. Annoying as ever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine froze, a flicker of shock crossing her face. She\u2019d\u00a0<\/p>\n
meant to walk away, but his words sparked something in her, a\u00a0<\/p>\n
need to push back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a kid?\u201d She found his claim almost ridiculous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her fists clenched tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
She shot back, her voice laced with defiance, \u201cYou mean the kid who kept you from starving? The one who sent you money every month so you wouldn\u2019t be stuck toiling away in that dirt- poor little town?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s lip curled into a sneer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s exactly it\u2013your smug, superior attitude. It\u2019s insufferable,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine. What, you think you\u2019re some kind of savior?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He took a step closer, his towering frame casting a shadow that\u00a0<\/p>\n
enveloped her, his presence heavy with an intimidating edge\u00a0<\/p>\n
that stole her voice for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His tone dropped, low and dangerous, laced with years of pent-\u00a0<\/p>\n
up resentment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSure, your family funded me. But don\u2019t kid yourself\u2013it wasn\u2019t out of the goodness of your heart. Your dad used me as a shiny badge for his \u2018philanthropist\u2018 act. And you\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He gave a cold, mocking laugh, his lips twisting into a smirk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got off on the power trip, didn\u2019t you? The thrill of tossing scraps to someone beneath you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s eyes trembled, her fingers clenching so tightly her\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
knuckles whitened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t expected this\u2013that he\u2019d seen her kindness as\u00a0<\/p>\n
something so ugly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBack in high school,\u201d Edward went on, his voice biting, \u201cyou\u00a0<\/p>\n
made a big show of handing me that scholarship money in front\u00a0<\/p>\n
of the entire school, preaching about how I shouldn\u2019t waste your family\u2019s generosity.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He scoffed, his eyes glinting with disdain. \u201cBet you loved the spotlight, didn\u2019t you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s mind reeled, yanked back to their high school days.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d been the one to convince her father to bring Edward to their city, to give him a chance at a better school. It was her first time meeting one of her family\u2019s sponsored students. He\u2019d\u00a0<\/p>\n
been quiet, withdrawn, always in that faded, threadbare uniform.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yes, she\u2019d given him the scholarship money in front of everyone. But it had never crossed her mind that the gesture would fester in his heart for so long, turning into this bitter wound.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward raised an eyebrow, his face radiating a cocky, defiant\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 18\u00a0<\/p>\n
confidence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSorry to disappoint, but I\u2019m not some toy for you rich folks to\u00a0<\/p>\n
play with. I\u2019ve got my own mind, my own will.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a venomous whisper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople like you never care about the little guy\u2019s struggles. But\u00a0<\/p>\n
when one of us rises up, you\u2019re quick to dangle your so\u2013called\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2018favors\u2018 to keep us in line.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine stared at him, her lips pressed into a tight line, her fists so clenched they ached.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a long pause, she spoke, her voice icy. \u201cAnd how are you any different from the \u2018high and mighty\u2018 people you claim to despise?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward\u2019s raised brow faltered, his smug expression wavering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked down at her, momentarily lost, before letting out a soft, dismissive huff.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo that\u2019s your new angle, huh? Trying to tear me down by bringing up the past? Dream on, Madeleine. I\u2019ll never fall for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He turned to leave, but his eyes caught Roderick approaching,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter Th\u00a0<\/p>\n
and a sly glint sparked in them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He changed his mind, pausing with a smirk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRemember these cufflinks?\u201d He raised his wrist, letting the\u00a0<\/p>\n
light catch the polished metal. \u201cThe ones you practically begged\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 18 Chapter 18\u00a0 She quickly turned her gaze away. Under Edward\u2019s startled\u00a0 […]<\/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-29236","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\/29236","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=29236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29236\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}