The four secretaries nodded in unison, their expressions as\u00a0<\/p>\n
tragic as if they were heading off to war.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Yvonne\u2019s eyes were a little red. \u201cChase, we\u2019re not afraid of being\u00a0<\/p>\n
laid off!\u00a0<\/p>\n
But if the company really can\u2019t make it, could you\u2026 leave us a\u00a0<\/p>\n
copy of the cafeteria lady\u2019s chili sauce recipe?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sophia clenched her fist. \u201cYeah!\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the cactus next to the printer, I\u2019ve worked with it for two\u00a0<\/p>\n
years. I\u2019ve grown attached to it!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Teresa was even more dramatic, pulling a stack of documents\u00a0<\/p>\n
from her bag: \u201cMa\u2019am, this is the \u2018Proposal for the\u00a0<\/p>\n
Transformation of the Secretarial Department After Corporate\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bankruptcy and Restructuring\u2018 that I wrote overnight. Why don\u2019t\u00a0<\/p>\n
you show it to the president\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine rubbed her forehead, almost laughing out loud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe company isn\u2019t going bankrupt. I invited you all to dinner to\u00a0<\/p>\n
thank you for taking care of me during this time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 147\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Madeleine spoke, her eyes were sincere and earnest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it weren\u2019t for you all, I wouldn\u2019t have gotten up to speed with\u00a0<\/p>\n
the company\u2019s business so quickly.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the news outside\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHave a little faith in my husband, will you?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine raised an eyebrow, \u201cYou know what he\u2019s capable of.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The four secretaries nodded vigorously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Having followed Mr. Livingston for so many years, of course\u00a0<\/p>\n
they knew what their boss was capable of.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As they were talking, they didn\u2019t notice the soft chime of the bell\u00a0<\/p>\n
on the door as three exquisitely dressed women walked in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The short\u2013haired beauty in the lead glanced over, her expression\u00a0<\/p>\n
faltering slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s her?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona\u2019s gaze was unconsciously drawn to Madeleine. She was\u00a0<\/p>\n
dressed beautifully, looking fresh and refined, not quite like the\u00a0<\/p>\n
other times she had seen her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 147\u00a0<\/p>\n
In fact, the image of her in a champagne\u2013colored mermaid\u00a0<\/p>\n
dress at the last gala was still vivid in her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back then, Edward had ditched her for nearly twenty minutes to\u00a0<\/p>\n
go see her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The two women with Fiona also noticed the group over there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of them had an exaggerated look on her face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIsn\u2019t that the woman who\u2019s always trying to steal Mr. Carroll?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did she know we were coming to eat here beforehand and did\u00a0<\/p>\n
this on purpose to piss us off?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t tell me she knew you were coming and thought Mr.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Carroll would be here too\u2026 And dressing like that, it\u2019s obvious\u00a0<\/p>\n
she\u2019s trying to seduce someone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona withdrew her gaze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t talk nonsense. We decided to come to this restaurant at\u00a0<\/p>\n
the last minute.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After speaking, she glanced at her friend beside her, \u201cBesides,\u00a0<\/p>\n
who says a woman dressing up nicely is trying to seduce a\u00a0<\/p>\n
man?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 147\u00a0<\/p>\n
The woman Fiona shot a look at flinched and nodded\u00a0<\/p>\n
awkwardly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right, Fiona. I shouldn\u2019t have said that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She then glanced inside the restaurant. There were plenty of\u00a0<\/p>\n
empty tables.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s go over there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Far away. Out of sight, out of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona ignored her and deliberately walked to the table closest\u00a0<\/p>\n
to Madeleine to sit down.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her movements were elegant and natural, and she was very\u00a0<\/p>\n
polite to the waiter who pulled out her chair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naturally, Madeleine\u2019s attention was drawn to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She recognized her immediately. It was Fiona, the one who was\u00a0<\/p>\n
always around Edward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine had been looking into Edward recently, and the\u00a0<\/p>\n
women around him\u2026 you couldn\u2019t even count them on ten\u00a0<\/p>\n
fingers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They were all rumored to be involved with him, but there was\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 147\u00a0<\/p>\n
never any proof.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lately, this Fiona was the one Edward brought out the most.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rumor was their families had a close partnership coming up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looks like a real beauty, too. How could she be so blind\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
After complaining internally, Madeleine couldn\u2019t help but touch\u00a0<\/p>\n
her nose, feeling a bit guilty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t even mention it. When she was under the narrative\u00a0<\/p>\n
control\u2019s influence, she was even blinder than Fiona.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Pulling her gaze away, Madeleine went back to chatting with\u00a0<\/p>\n
her secretaries. They were laughing and talking, and the\u00a0<\/p>\n
atmosphere was great.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As she was eating, Madeleine heard the sound of high heels\u00a0<\/p>\n
approaching.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, she caught a glimpse of Fiona.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was holding a glass of red wine, smiling as she walked\u00a0<\/p>\n
toward her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMadeleine?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What a coincidence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 147\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her red lips curved into a slight smile. \u201cI didn\u2019t expect to run into\u00a0<\/p>\n
you here. When I first saw you, I thought I was mistaken.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine slowly set down her fork, the silverware making a\u00a0<\/p>\n
crisp sound against the ceramic plate.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She looked up, pretending she had just noticed her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFiona, what a coincidence.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou like this restaurant too?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fiona smiled and looked around. \u201cThis restaurant is famous,\u00a0<\/p>\n
but it\u2019s quite niche. If Edward hadn\u2019t brought me here once, I\u00a0<\/p>\n
wouldn\u2019t even know about it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s expression remained gentle, but a hint of\u00a0<\/p>\n
amusement flashed in her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Mr. Carroll likes it here too?\u201d\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 147 The four secretaries nodded in unison, their expressions as\u00a0 tragic as […]<\/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-29444","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\/29444","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=29444"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29444\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29444"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29444"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29444"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}