Chapter 343\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Are you listening?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHuh? Yeah, I\u2019m listening.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca seemed to snap out of it, but her tone was still a little\u00a0<\/p>\n
distracted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUm\u2026 Maddie, I think you might be overthinking it. Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
cares about you so much, if there was really something wrong\u00a0<\/p>\n
with his health, he would never hide it from you. It\u2019s probably\u00a0<\/p>\n
just that work has been busy lately, and he\u2019s under a lot of\u00a0<\/p>\n
stress.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine frowned slightly. Rebecca was acting so strange\u00a0<\/p>\n
today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s not his health, then what else could he be hiding from me,\u00a0<\/p>\n
unless\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUnless he\u2019s cheating on me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment the words left her mouth, Madeleine herself was\u00a0<\/p>\n
stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand,\u00a0<\/p>\n
and her breath caught in her throat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cheating?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She had never imagined Roderick would ever do something like\u00a0<\/p>\n
that to her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His love for her needed no proof.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n
People make mistakes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine suddenly remembered that a few days ago, he\u2019d\u00a0<\/p>\n
gone out for a work function and came back smelling of a\u00a0<\/p>\n
strange perfume.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once the seed of doubt was planted, it began to sprout all sorts\u00a0<\/p>\n
of terrible possibilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s reaction on the other end of the line was extreme,\u00a0<\/p>\n
her voice shooting up. \u201cImpossible! Absolutely not! Madeleine,\u00a0<\/p>\n
what are you even thinking!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The extreme reaction only made Madeleine more suspicious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Shouldn\u2019t Rebecca be cursing Roderick out, or at least helping her analyze the possibility?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That kind of absolute denial sounded more like\u2026 she was\u00a0<\/p>\n
hiding something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRebecca.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Madeleine\u2019s voice dropped. \u201cDo you know something?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2026 what could I possibly know?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca\u2019s tone was clearly panicked. \u201cI just don\u2019t think Roderick\u00a0<\/p>\n
is that kind of person. He would die for you, how could he\u00a0<\/p>\n
possibly cheat?\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re really overthinking this.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
With that, Rebecca made an excuse, saying someone was there\u00a0<\/p>\n
to talk about work, and quickly hung up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Clutching the warm phone, Madeleine felt her chest tighten.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A heavy sense of impending doom washed over her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over here, Rebecca hung up on Madeleine and immediately\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
called Roderick.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRoderick!\u00a0<\/p>\n
Something terrible has happened. Madeleine thinks you\u2019re\u00a0<\/p>\n
cheating on her!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
On the other end of the line, Roderick didn\u2019t sound surprised. In\u00a0<\/p>\n
fact, he seemed to be in a good mood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did she say?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe said you\u2019ve been acting suspiciously lately. At first, she\u00a0<\/p>\n
was worried something was wrong with your health, but then\u00a0<\/p>\n
she thought about it and said the only other possibility is that\u00a0<\/p>\n
you\u2019re cheating.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca was frustrated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m the worst liar. No, seriously, can you just make sure she\u00a0<\/p>\n
doesn\u2019t ask me about this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat lie?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick raised an eyebrow. \u201cI\u2019m not cheating. You can just tell\u00a0<\/p>\n
her the truth.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca rolled her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why don\u2019t you tell Madeleine that you\u2019ve been talking\u00a0<\/p>\n
business with the woman who was chasing you relentlessly a few years ago?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick laughed on the other end of the line, a hint of\u00a0<\/p>\n
amusement in his voice:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I told her, what do you think she\u2019d do, with her personality?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca thought for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019d demand to know everything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExactly. If she knew what that woman did to her all those years\u00a0<\/p>\n
ago while chasing me, she\u2019d probably charge over there with a\u00a0<\/p>\n
knife.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick raised an eyebrow, sounding like he enjoyed the idea\u00a0<\/p>\n
of Madeleine being so protective of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has a competition with Leona soon. I don\u2019t want her to be\u00a0<\/p>\n
distracted right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca listened without saying a word.\u00a0<\/p>\n
That woman\u2019s name was Evelyn Cruz, a famous investment\u00a0<\/p>\n
queen in the business world, with countless assets and\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A few years ago, she launched an aggressive pursuit of\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick, using every trick in the book. With her powerful family\u00a0<\/p>\n
background, even Roderick had to tread carefully around her\u00a0<\/p>\n
back then.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Back then, Roderick had stumbled quite a bit because of her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Actually, Madeleine knew about all this back then, but her mind\u00a0<\/p>\n
was on Edward. She didn\u2019t seem to care at all, which made\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick give up on himself, even thinking about shutting down\u00a0<\/p>\n
his company.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, for some unknown reason, Evelyn suddenly quieted down\u00a0<\/p>\n
and went abroad.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now she\u2019s made a comeback, appearing as a business partner.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It\u2019s obvious her intentions are not what they seem.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca still felt it was wrong. \u201cIf you keep hiding it like this,\u00a0<\/p>\n
wouldn\u2019t it be worse if Madeleine finds out on her own one day?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That Evelyn woman is no pushover. What if she deliberately\u00a0<\/p>\n
does something\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why I have to handle it myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Roderick\u2019s voice turned cold. \u201cI\u2019ll close this deal as soon as\u00a0<\/p>\n
possible so she has no reason to get close again. Until then, the\u00a0<\/p>\n
less Madeleine knows, the better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He paused, his tone firm and decisive. \u201cYou just need to make\u00a0<\/p>\n
her believe that in my eyes and in my heart, there has only ever\u00a0<\/p>\n
been her, Madeleine. Leave the rest to me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
What else could Rebecca say?\u00a0<\/p>\n
She could only sigh helplessly. \u201cFine, fine, it\u2019s between you\u00a0<\/p>\n
two\u2026 I\u2019ll try my best to cover for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But Roderick, I\u2019m telling you, if you let Maddie get hurt, I\u2019ll be the\u00a0<\/p>\n
first one to come after you!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
After hanging up, Rebecca rubbed her temples, a headache\u00a0<\/p>\n
forming.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On one side was the sharp\u2013witted Madeleine, and on the other,\u00a0<\/p>\n
the strategic but autocratic Roderick. Being the one in the know\u00a0<\/p>\n
felt like walking on thin ice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh God, why do these things always fall on me?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
She leaned back in her chair and, after a long while, finally took\u00a0<\/p>\n
out her phone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca: [Professor Shaw, I\u2019m hurt. I need some care.]\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian: [Hurt?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Physical or mental?\u3011\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca: \u3010What\u2019s the difference?]\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adrian: \u3010If it\u2019s physical, I\u2019ll take you to the hospital. If it\u2019s mental\u2026 then I\u2019ll have to be the one to help you heal.\u3011\u00a0<\/p>\n
Holding her phone, Rebecca couldn\u2019t help but let out a laugh.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Where did he learn to be such a smooth talker?\u00a0<\/p>\n
ust because she had once muttered that Adrian was an old\u00a0<\/p>\n
fossil, he had gone off to \u201cstudy up,\u201d and now he was constantly\u00a0<\/p>\n
coming up with new lines.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, Rebecca quite enjoyed that her lover was changing for\u00a0<\/p>\n
her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Rebecca: \u3010Alright, I\u2019ll give you a chance. Come pick me up\u00a0<\/p>\n
tonight~\u3011\u00a0<\/p>\n
Recommend for you\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 ` 343 Chapter 343\u00a0 \u201cRebecca?\u00a0 Are you listening?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cHuh? Yeah, I\u2019m listening.\u201d\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-29640","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\/29640","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=29640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29640\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}