Chapter 49\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a moment, she felt as though she were back in high school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back then, every time they fought, Roderick loved to break the\u00a0<\/p>\n
stalemate with this same cocky attitude.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI just happened to see you throw it away that day. I was afraid\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2019d regret it later and kick up a fuss. You know, that cry,\u00a0<\/p>\n
scream, and threaten to hang yourself stuff. So I kept it for\u00a0<\/p>\n
you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s lips twitched unconsciously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And he had kept it for nearly a decade.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Feeling uncomfortable under Madeleine\u2019s gaze, Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
deliberately shifted his eyes toward the cabinet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust thought it looked nice sitting there. If you hadn\u2019t brought it\u00a0<\/p>\n
up, I would\u2019ve forgotten about it already.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It sounded absurd, but it was Roderick speaking, so it somehow\u00a0<\/p>\n
felt natural.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d always been ridiculous since he was a kid.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 49\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine steadied her emotions and stepped back ever so slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWho ever threw a tantrum like that?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She turned her head toward the trophy, teasing deliberately. \u201cIf\u00a0<\/p>\n
it weren\u2019t for the fact that you liked Leona back then, I\u2019d almost think you had a crush on me, Ricki.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The smile on Roderick\u2019s face faded, his brows knitting together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He liked Leona?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where did that come from?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat nonsense are you talking about? Leona and I\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before he could finish, someone knocked on the door. It must\u00a0<\/p>\n
be the lunch.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick glanced at Madeleine again. She wore an indifferent expression. Her attention had already been shifted to the delivered food.\u00a0<\/p>\n
All of that was in the past. She had moved on, while he was not letting the past go. Even if he explained, what difference would\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 49\u00a0<\/p>\n
it make?\u00a0<\/p>\n
The subordinate brought not only lunch, but also a box.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine noticed it was from a shoe brand she often wore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo change into these.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick pushed the box toward her and then sat down to eat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine opened it in puzzlement. Inside was a pair of flats in her size and exactly in the style she would like.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being way too thoughtful. I\u2019m not even used to this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For a long moment, Madeleine was too moved to know what to\u00a0<\/p>\n
say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s expression remained casual. \u201cThen get used to it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once she changed into the shoes, Madeleine instantly felt reborn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It seemed the role of career woman wasn\u2019t something just anyone could pull off.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After lunch, Madeleine asked Roderick what she should do that afternoon. She had been busy all morning, yet still had no idea\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 49\u00a0<\/p>\n
what her actual tasks were.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAsk someone from the CEO\u2019s office.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the girls\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine shrugged in defeat. \u201cThey keep saying they don\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
need my help. Guess they\u2019re wary of who I am.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She regretted it now. If she\u2019d known, she wouldn\u2019t have come to work at Roderick\u2019s company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick said nothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t her identity they feared. It was her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rumors that the CEO\u2019s wife was an insider had already spread through the company. Everyone was on guard.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Word was that the tech department had even worked late into the night upgrading the company\u2019s cyber defenses, worried that someone might break in and steal confidential data.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOr maybe they just don\u2019t trust my abilities now, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine tilted her head in thought. \u201cWell, makes sense. My memory\u2019s still stuck at freshman year. Even though I studied business management for a while, it was all theory. I should\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 49\u00a0<\/p>\n
probably start with learning about the company\u2019s operations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She muttered to herself, yawning as she finished.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The drowsiness hit right after eating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGo rest. The lounge is that way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Following the direction Roderick pointed, Madeleine finally noticed a hidden door.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At once, countless gossip scenarios sprang into her head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cA secret lounge like this? Roderick, don\u2019t tell me you\u2019re like those drama bosses, sneaking in here during work hours to do those unspeakable things?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As a teenager, Madeleine had never thought too deeply. Plus, she trusted Roderick, so she often just blurted out without thinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only when she saw his expression change slightly did\u00a0<\/p>\n
embarrassment finally creep across her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s face darkened. \u201cWhat on earth goes on in that head of yours?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine zipped her lips with a gesture and quickly ran into\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 49\u00a0<\/p>\n
the lounge.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Inside, there was only a bed and a bathroom. Exhausted, Madeleine fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In her dream, she returned to the day she saw Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
comforting Leona.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had been so upset that she couldn\u2019t breathe. Her\u00a0<\/p>\n
classmates and friends had all said they believed her, but\u00a0<\/p>\n
behind her back, they were all saying that her past honors were\u00a0<\/p>\n
probably bought with money.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had gone alone to ask the organizers to issue a\u00a0<\/p>\n
clarification. But on the way, she saw Roderick and Leona\u00a0<\/p>\n
sitting together on a bench.\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 49 Chapter 49\u00a0 For a moment, she felt as though she were […]<\/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-29312","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\/29312","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=29312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29312\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}