Chapter 264\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine pressed her lips together. What else could it be?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Probably the old news about her pestering Edward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve misunderstood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s voice was clear, with an undeniable frankness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my career. It has nothing to do with my husband,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, and\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She paused, then said the name, \u201cit has even less to do with\u00a0<\/p>\n
Edward. You\u2019ve probably heard what the Mosley family used to\u00a0<\/p>\n
now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona was stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had expected Madeleine to deny it, or maybe to brag about\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s support, but she never imagined she\u2019d get an answer\u00a0<\/p>\n
like this\u2013an ambition and a plan that were entirely Madeleine\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
own, completely independent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
An indescribable emotion welled up in her\u2013surprise, the\u00a0<\/p>\n
embarrassment of misjudging the situation, and even a hint\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 264\u00a0<\/p>\n
of\u2026 admiration she was reluctant to admit to herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It turned out that after all these years, they had walked\u00a0<\/p>\n
completely different paths.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was still hung up on past emotional entanglements and the desire to win, while the other person was already looking far\u00a0<\/p>\n
ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs that so\u2026\u201d Leona\u2019s tone was a bit dry. She stirred her coffee,\u00a0<\/p>\n
unsure how to continue the original conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine watched her, not rushing, just waiting patiently.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her purpose today was to hear what Leona had to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona took a deep breath and finally looked up, her gaze refocusing on Madeleine\u2019s face. But this time, the emotion in her eyes was more complex and hard to read.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, I was jumping to conclusions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona nodded, then let out a soft laugh. \u201cI\u2019m just surprised. I\u00a0<\/p>\n
never expected this would be the future you\u2019d choose.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
If it had been anyone else, Madeleine might have retorted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is there something wrong with this choice?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 264\u00a0<\/p>\n
But the other person was Leona.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine knew she was trying to remind her of her past\u00a0<\/p>\n
memories of dancing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without beating around the bush, Madeleine said in a low voice:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI had my reasons for giving up dancing in the past.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s voice dropped a little, and the regret of being forced to give it up quietly welled up in her eyes like a tide, but she quickly suppressed it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat wasn\u2019t the end. For me, it never really left.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough with the useless talk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona frowned, took another sip of coffee, then stood up decisively. \u201cCome with me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She seemed to be in a bad mood and didn\u2019t even check if\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was following her upstairs, her steps hurried.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was a bit slow to react, taking a moment to gather her things before chasing after her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona took Madeleine up the elevator next to the cafe. It turned out the second floor was a dance studio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 264\u00a0<\/p>\n
Did Leona intentionally pick this place?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as Madeleine was wondering, Leona handed her a new\u00a0<\/p>\n
pair of ballet shoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPut them on. Dance for me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine was completely baffled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Seriously, what\u2019s her deal? Asking me out, saying a few cryptic\u00a0<\/p>\n
things, and then dragging me here to dance?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even a Bollywood movie plot twist isn\u2019t this dramatic.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When Leona saw she wasn\u2019t moving, she frowned and started\u00a0<\/p>\n
to provoke her, \u201cDon\u2019t tell me you\u2019ve forgotten how to put on\u00a0<\/p>\n
ballet shoes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine took them. \u201cI just don\u2019t get what you\u2019re trying to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cTo see where you\u2019re at now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 264\u00a0<\/p>\n
How ridiculous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine muttered to herself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leona stood with her arms crossed, chin slightly raised, her\u00a0<\/p>\n
gaze filled with undisguised scrutiny and criticism, as if they\u00a0<\/p>\n
were back in the dance studio years ago, competing with each\u00a0<\/p>\n
other.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cJust dance the variation from Act I of Giselle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had chosen a classic piece, perfect for testing both\u00a0<\/p>\n
technique and artistry.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine squeezed the dance shoes in her hand and took a\u00a0<\/p>\n
breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Although she found Leona\u2019s behavior absurd, that competitive\u00a0<\/p>\n
fire deep inside her was ignited.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She walked to the barre, expertly put on the shoes, tied the\u00a0<\/p>\n
ribbons, and then moved to the center of the dance studio.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The music began, the accompaniment playing from a Bluetooth\u00a0<\/p>\n
speaker connected to Leona\u2019s phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 264\u00a0<\/p>\n
immerse herself in distant memories.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She struck the opening pose, then began to dance with the\u00a0<\/p>\n
music.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After years without systematic training, her body was rusty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Good thing she\u2019d been stretching recently, so her strong\u00a0<\/p>\n
foundation was still there.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The general framework of her movements was standard, the\u00a0<\/p>\n
graceful outline of her form was still visible, and her fluidity was far beyond that of an ordinary person. You could even catch a glimpse of her unique, nimble grace from back then.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But in the eyes of a top\u2013tier, demanding professional like Leona,\u00a0<\/p>\n
there were problems everywhere.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like a gorgeous robe crawling with lice, it was unbearable for\u00a0<\/p>\n
her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStop!\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 ` 264 Chapter 264\u00a0 Madeleine pressed her lips together. What else could […]<\/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-29561","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\/29561","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=29561"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29561\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29561"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29561"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29561"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}