Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona had her head bowed, crying, while Roderick spoke to her, clearly offering comfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Comfort? How would he comfort her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Telling Leona that his childhood friend was, at her core, rotten?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or telling her that she, Leona, was the true number one in\u00a0<\/p>\n
everyone\u2019s eyes?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It hurt so much. That suffocating feeling rose up again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The alarm rang. Madeleine woke up blurry\u2013eyed from her\u00a0<\/p>\n
dream.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had actually cried\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
***\u00a0<\/p>\n
The lunch break ended at two. Madeleine ordered coffee\u00a0<\/p>\n
delivery, planning to bring it back to the office to share with the\u00a0<\/p>\n
other four secretaries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But before she reached the office, she heard their voices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ribs in the cafeteria today were amazing. Hope they serve\u00a0<\/p>\n
them again tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYesterday you said the squid was delicious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey, the company chef is just too good! Ever since they\u00a0<\/p>\n
switched chefs, I haven\u2019t gone to the mall across the street to\u00a0<\/p>\n
eat.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSame.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So when they said earlier they had appointments or were busy\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
they had all lied?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked down at the coffee in her hand, suddenly feeling\u00a0<\/p>\n
that her kindness had been wasted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t seem like they were wary of her status. It felt more like\u00a0<\/p>\n
hostility.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Had she somehow offended them before?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That couldn\u2019t be. She had subtly asked Gerry in the morning, and he said that although she had been to the company before, she always went straight to Roderick and barely interacted with\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 30\u00a0<\/p>\n
anyone else.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine paused for a moment and then pushed the door\u00a0<\/p>\n
open, masking her disappointment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI bought coffee for everyone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
As expected, the moment she walked in, the four women fell silent, their gazes shifting subtly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They only smiled faintly, making no move to take the coffee.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Patiently, Madeleine set each cup down on their desks, startling them into standing up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Livingston, this is\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine glanced at them with a smile. \u201cJust started here.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Buying everyone coffee is the least I can do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The women looked at each other, uncertain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After a pause, Madeleine asked, \u201cHave I ever offended you before?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s words left the four women in silence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The already tense atmosphere grew even more awkward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
ter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s gaze swept across the room again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo one\u2019s going to answer my question? Or should I call Gerry,\u00a0<\/p>\n
no, maybe Roderick himself over here and have him ask you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
At once, they tensed up. They might be wary of Madeleine, but\u00a0<\/p>\n
they didn\u2019t want Roderick to know that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sophia, the closest to Madeleine, looked pained.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMrs. Livingston, we\u2019re just employees. Getting this job wasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
easy. Please don\u2019t make things harder for us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine frowned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Harder? She had only just started that morning. How had she\u00a0<\/p>\n
made things hard for anyone?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Buying them coffee counted as making things hard?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fine then, if that was how they wanted it, she\u2019d keep pressing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She crossed her arms, feigning impatience.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen be honest. What exactly are you guarding against?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sophia stammered, glancing at Teresa, who was slightly bolder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teresa bit her lip, finally blurting out, \u201cMrs. Livingston, the\u00a0<\/p>\n
company\u2019s classified files are restricted. Only authorized staff\u00a0<\/p>\n
can access them. Unless Mr. Livingston issues a direct order,\u00a0<\/p>\n
there\u2019s no way we can let you see them.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Classified files?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s eyes fell on the file cabinets beside each of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
No wonder! When she came in earlier, those cabinets hadn\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
been locked. Yet now they had all been locked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teresa\u2019s voice grew more emotional as she spoke.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a huge scandal at the branch office. The\u00a0<\/p>\n
company suffered massive losses, and I heard more than a\u00a0<\/p>\n
dozen people have already been fired. Everyone\u2019s on edge.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her eyes welled with tears.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis job might not mean much to you, but for us, it\u2019s everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words echoed the others\u2018 thoughts, and they all nodded in\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
agreement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s frown deepened. She tried to piece the whole thing\u00a0<\/p>\n
together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think I came here to steal secrets?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The four women said nothing, but their silence was already an\u00a0<\/p>\n
answer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine drew in a breath. \u201cHow could I? I\u2019m Roderick\u2019s wife.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This is my own family\u2019s company. What reason would I have\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her words cut off abruptly, as though a string in her mind had\u00a0<\/p>\n
snapped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She stared at Teresa, asking tentatively, \u201cYou just said\u00a0<\/p>\n
something happened at the branch\u2026 What happened?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe client list was leaked. The Carroll Group snatched it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Boom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It felt as if something exploded inside Madeleine\u2019s head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Carroll Group\u2026 could it be Edward\u2019s Carroll Group?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Judging by their expressions, it had to be.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 50\u00a0<\/p>\n
So the truth was\u2026 her past self, for the sake of Edward, had\u00a0<\/p>\n
stolen confidential files from her own branch office and handed\u00a0<\/p>\n
them over to him, causing enormous losses to her family\u2019s company. No wonder everyone was guarding against her.\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 50 Chapter 50\u00a0 Leona had her head bowed, crying, while Roderick spoke […]<\/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-29313","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\/29313","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=29313"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29313\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}