Chapter 15 Social Circles Are Messy

• The more she acted out, the more displeased he seemed. His towering figure loomed over her. "Let me ask you one more time. Who are you? Think before you answer!"
• Madeline pursed her lips. "I am Madeline Grant, didn't you already have me investigated, Mr. Quincy? It's just a pity that I'm not your ex-wife."
• There was a silent rage in his eyes. "You should count your lucky stars that you aren't the real Madeline!"
• "Why?"
• "I won't allow you to live a second longer if you were Madeline Grant!"
• "It seems you have a deep resentment toward your ex-wife. Am I her substitute? You're dumping all your frustrations on me? But hate is born out of love. Am I right to say that you loved her very much?"
• "Hah, love? She doesn't deserve it."
• Noah was quick to retort as if he had heard a joke.
• She knew the answer deep down, but Madeline was still hurt to hear it five years later.
• That's right. I don't deserve it.
• She obviously didn't care anymore, but why was she still trying? Why did she still feel hurt?
• Was it reluctance?
• No, she wasn't going to allow the person who killed her grandfather to go free!
• The only reason she returned to Imperia was for her child, to avenge her grandfather, and to clear her name!
• It had nothing to do with the man before her!
• A man like him wasn't worth her affection!
• What's more, Colton Quincy was here. She couldn't let him find out about the child!
• The glint in Madeline's eyes darkened with every thought.
• She immediately tried to send him away!
• "I'm not going to interfere with your family's affairs, Mr. Quincy. If you have nothing more to say, please see yourself out. I want to rest."
• Madeline hadn't honored him with another look as she turned to go upstairs.
• Noah, however, wasn't going to let her off the hook.
• "Hold it!"
• The man's voice was faint, cold, and almost ghost-like in its quality.
• "What is it, Mr. Quincy?"
• Madeline tried to suppress her chaotic musings before she turned back to him. Her aloof expression betrayed nothing.
• "You took the cemetery's surveillance footage. What are you trying to do?"
• "Huh?"
• "The cemetery's surveillance was damaged. There were even additional protections in place. And, the person who took the footage was you! You say you have nothing to do with my son's disappearance. What are you trying to achieve?!"
• Noah pressed forward, ever oppressive. The lightning outside the windows only served to dramatize it all.
• Madeline raised a brow at that. Her poised posture added to her charm. "Are you saying I destroyed the cemetery's surveillance cameras, Mr.Quincy?"
• "Obviously!"
• He continued to advance on her until he had her pinned against the wall!
• He forced her to look up at him to see right through her!
• Madeline didn't flinch. Her slender digits instead brushed against his chin. "Why don't you tell me what you think I'm trying to do, Mr. Quincy?"
• "You swear you have nothing to do with my son's disappearance?"
• Colt was safely returned but the matter was far too bizarre.
• The disappearance of the surveillance footage, Colt suddenly being able to speak, and the mysterious doctor who helped him. They were all a mystery!
• Madeline's eyes were cold. She was quick to turn the tables. "You were the one who suspected me of kidnapping your son. I certainly wouldn't just let it go when I hadn't done anything! I made a copy of the surveillance footage, but it was for proof that I hadn't done what I was being accused of. It's a pity that the footage was destroyed. There was nothing to see!"
• "Now you're suspecting me based on some destroyed footage. I haven't even come to you for your previous accusations and here you are questioning me again?!"
• Noah's visage only darkened as the woman spilled her grievances.
• He hadn't expected her to be so sharp-tongued!
• How dare you question me?!
• He roughly grabbed her by her waist and was just about to unleash hell on her when her hand pressed against his lips. "You don't know how to treat a woman do you, Mr. Quincy? Shouldn't you be the one to compensate me?!"
• Noah felt a surge of anger rushing over him!
• He was annoyed as he wrenched himself away from her as if she were carrying a plague. How dare she seduce me again?!
• What a vixen!
• Could this woman be doing all this to lure me in? Was this her purpose?!
• "I'm warning you. Stop being delusional. I'm not interested in you!"
• Madeline knew that he hated being touched by women that weren't Angie. She wanted to provoke and disgust him so he'd leave her alone!
• The atmosphere in the living room dropped several degrees within seconds.
• Madeline was coming up with more ways to rid herself of the man when an odd song began to play. "Baby is calling for Papa. Pick up! I'm your cutest baby!"
• Noah could hear it coming from him and reached for his phone vibrating in his pocket.
• It was his ringtone!
• He stared wordlessly at his phone with an inexplicable expression.
• It was Colton. He was different ever since he'd been found and had become much livelier. This ringtone, however…
• "Pfft!" Madeline found herself unable to hold back her laughter.
• "Your ringtone is pretty original, Mr. Quincy!"
• Madeline continued to laugh mercilessly as she gave him a thumbs-up.
• That's right. That thumbs-up was directed at her son, Thomas Grant. Well done, brat!
• Noah gave Madeline a dark look, then turned around and pressed the answer button.
• "It's raining, Daddy. I'm scared. Please come home."
• Noah wanted to refuse, but in the end, he was worried about his son and disappeared into the pouring rain with his men in tow.
• Madeline watched him leave and finally relaxed!
• She breathed a long sigh of relief and was just about to go upstairs to change when she noticed a small figure hanging around outside her French window.
• Startled, she hurried over and opened the French window.
• Sure enough, outside the door, Thomas was there with his school bag in a small raincoat. He was in a bizarre position picking at the door and attempting to break the lock.
• "Hey, Mommy!"
• Thomas had been caught. He fiddled with the buttons of his raincoat. He was all smiles as he stared up at Madeline.
• He had thought to visit his mother while he was in the area but didn't expect to have been caught so quickly. He should've added an invisibility function to his coat. It was a miscalculation on his part.
• "What are you doing here in the storm, Thomas?"
• Madeline picked him up into her arms.
• She was relieved to see that not even a strand of hair on him was wet.
• She then went ahead to heat some milk up for him.
• "I followed the scumbag here! How about it, Mommy? Wasn't my heroic call timely?"
• "Yes, it was. I expected nothing less from my son! You said you followed Noah here. How did you know where he'd be?"