Chapter 43\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine spread her hands helplessly, her eyes reddening, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
voice thick with emotion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, Dad, you might not trust the Madeleine in her twenties,\u00a0<\/p>\n
but don\u2019t you trust the eighteen\u2013year\u2013old me I used to be?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The couple fell silent, exchanging a long, meaningful look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you truly certain you don\u2019t want a divorce?\u201d Clarissa asked\u00a0<\/p>\n
cautiously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine nodded firmly. She wouldn\u2019t leave, at least not for\u00a0<\/p>\n
the child\u2019s sake.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As for the future, it depended on Roderick. If he could accept a\u00a0<\/p>\n
marriage built on family bonds rather than romantic love,\u00a0<\/p>\n
perhaps they could make it work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She just hoped they wouldn\u2019t end up like his parents.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGood\u2026 That\u2019s good, then.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 43\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clarissa kept nodding, dabbing her eyes with a tissue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was starting to believe the amnesia was real. She knew her\u00a0<\/p>\n
daughter, and the sincerity in her eyes was unmistakable.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harold stood, claiming he\u2019d fetch the children; but turned away quickly to wipe his own eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Kevin returned, he cautiously studied everyone\u2019s faces.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seeing them all smiling, he finally relaxed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMommy, did you and Grandma and Grandpa make up?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course we did.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you and Daddy? You won\u2019t get divorced?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine held out her pinky finger. \u201cNever. I promise.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A genuine smile finally broke through on Kevin\u2019s face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s business dinner was not going well.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After several rounds of drinks, the other party suddenly made\u00a0<\/p>\n
outrageous demands, drastically raising their terms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 43\u00a0<\/p>\n
Agitated, Roderick stepped out into the hallway for a moment\u00a0<\/p>\n
of quiet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His phone buzzed with a WhatsApp notification. As he saw the\u00a0<\/p>\n
sender\u2019s name, the tension in his brow eased slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was a photo from Madeleine, showing Harold happily packing\u00a0<\/p>\n
soup into a thermal container.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re in luck. Dad made you some soup to help with the drinks. It\u2019s amazing!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A moment later, another message arrived.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t drink too much. Remember to eat something first. Don\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
drink on an empty stomach.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick stared at the messages, reading them over and over.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His heart, cold and overgrown with neglect, suddenly stirred\u00a0<\/p>\n
with new life.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was concerned about him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A faint smile touched his lips, but then a thought occurred to\u00a0<\/p>\n
him. He called home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cKirsten, did anyone visit the house today?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 43\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh! How did you know, sir? Dr. Clark stopped by.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Instantly, Roderick\u2019s smile disappeared.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His initial suspicion was just a guess, based on Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
mention of Nanette during their phone call.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This mannerism was strikingly similar to the teenage\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back then, she\u2019d disliked a two\u2013faced underclassman. While she\u00a0<\/p>\n
never showed it openly, she would occasionally mutter under\u00a0<\/p>\n
her breath about her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only Roderick ever heard it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d found it strange at first. The underclassman seemed\u00a0<\/p>\n
bubbly and often sought Madeleine out. Could she really dislike\u00a0<\/p>\n
her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
An investigation revealed the girl was a classic hypocrite,\u00a0<\/p>\n
specializing in being sweet to her face while spreading rumors\u00a0<\/p>\n
behind her back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He discovered she was telling people Madeleine\u2019s family wealth\u00a0<\/p>\n
came from her father being a greedy capitalist. Incensed, Roderick promptly exposed the girl\u2019s exam cheating to the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 43\u00a0<\/p>\n
school administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the following days, he noticed Madeleine\u2019s mood had visibly\u00a0<\/p>\n
improved.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her current behavior was identical.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She disliked Nanette.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After getting the full story from Kirsten, Roderick frowned more\u00a0<\/p>\n
deeply.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand. Kirsten, inform the gate. If Dr. Clark visits again,\u00a0<\/p>\n
call me immediately. She is not to be admitted without my\u00a0<\/p>\n
permission.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cVery well, sir.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hanging up, Roderick reflected on his own reaction with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
sense of irony.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The previous Madeleine never considered his feelings. Yet here\u00a0<\/p>\n
he was, reacting so strongly simply because someone had\u00a0<\/p>\n
made her uncomfortable, as if their fragile connection needed\u00a0<\/p>\n
protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Connection?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 43\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u0633\u0627\u0644\u00a0<\/p>\n
What connection truly existed?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even if her amnesia was genuine, even as her eighteen\u2013year\u2013old\u00a0<\/p>\n
self, she hadn\u2019t cared for him then either.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRoderick,\u201d he muttered to himself, \u201cyou\u2019re truly pathetic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
The business dinner dragged on until eleven.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His clients heavily suggested moving to another venue for \u201cadult entertainment\u201c.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Battling his drunkenness, Roderick declined.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife expects me home. My vice president will accompany you. Everything\u2019s on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Benny Garrison, a previous business contact, slung a drunken arm around him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome on, man! Your wife? Her attention\u2019s always been elsewhere, hasn\u2019t it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s polite smile vanished.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween friends now, women shouldn\u2019t be indulged.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 41\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDump her today, she\u2019ll come crawling back tomorrow,\u00a0<\/p>\n
guaranteed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou look like you haven\u2019t been with your wife in ages. Let me\u00a0<\/p>\n
show you something new.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick remained silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He removed Benny\u2019s arm with cold precision, all traces of drunkenness gone from his eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy personal affairs don\u2019t concern you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Turning to Gerry, he instructed, \u201cTell Legal Department the\u00a0<\/p>\n
contract stands as is.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Benny\u2019s assistant panicked. \u201cNo changes? We agreed on a five\u00a0<\/p>\n
percent increase! Are you reneging?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNot reneging.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s voice turned icy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re terminating cooperation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\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 43 Chapter 43\u00a0 Madeleine spread her hands helplessly, her eyes reddening, her\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-29299","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\/29299","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=29299"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29299\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29299"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29299"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29299"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}