Chapter 2 The Little Punk's Run Off Again

• Madeline could care less about the wealth and possessions of the Quincy family or the Grant family. To her, they were nothing at all!
• However, at the very beginning of her ordeal, she had sworn that as long as she was still alive, she would return and have her revenge on Angie!
• She would not let Gordon's murderer go unpunished, neither would she allow those who had framed and vilified her to get off scot-free. She refused to bear the burden of their wrongdoing while they feathered their nests at her expense.
• At this point, her assistant Albert respectfully reminded her, "Ms. Grant, Mr. Quincy's car is already at the foot of the hill. We should go now."
• Madeline's eyes glittered coldly. She put her sunglasses back on and paid her last respects to Gordon, murmuring, "I have to go now, Gordon. I'll visit again next time!"
• That "next time" would be Angie's death anniversary!
• She made her way carefully down the hill, mindful not to make a misstep in her high heels. "Is everything in place for the charity dinner?!"
• "Yes, I've already blacklisted Ms. Angie from the Global Charity Banquet! She's done many charitable things in Gordon's name, and she's been dubbed Imperia's charitable princess, right? Well, she won't even be able to get through the door to attend the dinner. That ought to show her true colors; let's see how she's going to marry into the Quincy family after such a disgrace!"
• Madeline nodded in approval. "Well done, Albert. Be sure to keep an eye on Thomas; don't let him run away and cause trouble."
• Thomas was Madeline's son and a hell-raising young rascal of the first order.
• "Yes, Ms. Grant."
• As the saying went, it was truly a small world after all. While the two of them were making their way down the hill, they unexpectedly ran into Noah and his entourage.
• Noah was surrounded by black-garbed bodyguards, but Madeline caught a glimpse of his tall, handsome figure. He was dressed completely in black as well, his dark eyes still as keen and sharp as those of a hawk. Even his simplest gesture seemed to radiate disdain, like a monarch giving orders from on high.
• In the intervening five years, he had matured and grown even aristocratically arrogant in bearing. He was definitely not someone to cross.
• Under his leadership, the Quinton Corporation had emerged relatively unscathed from its dire straits. In fact, in just those five short years, the entire company had rapidly expanded into the third-largest economic entity in the world. Its market value had soared a dozen times over, making the Quincy family fabulously wealthy and giants of industry in the nation of Tiberos.
• Following discreetly behind him was Angie, whom Madeline had also not seen all this while!
• Angie was wearing an expensive one-of-a-kind black couture dress. She had taken great care with her makeup, so she was looking particularly radiant today. With a sorrowful expression, she followed Noah, looking for all the world like a helpless, timid young fledgling. The intervening years appeared to have treated her kindly.
• Madeline brushed past the entire entourage, ignoring them. She did not even spare Noah a glance. However, from behind her sunglasses, she raked Angie's face with a frosty stare and smiled derisively.
• At that very moment, Angie was blissfully imagining the good life she would have after she became Mrs. Noah Quincy!
• She was feeling particularly happy because she had finally managed to dispose of Noah's young brat of a son, and on the anniversary of Gordon and Madeline's death, no less. It was very satisfying to contemplate.
• However, the instant Madeline brushed past her, she suddenly felt a sense of imminent danger!
• She had never come across a woman who radiated such untouchable elegance and beauty before, so she could not help slanting an envious glance at Madeline. Somehow, she felt uneasy, although she found it impossible to pinpoint the source of this feeling.
• The feeling only grew stronger when the group arrived at Gordon's grave, and she saw the fresh bouquet of lilies that had been placed there.
• Noah drew himself up amid the gusting winds and stared at the bouquet, his brows lifting. "Who's been here?!"
• Angie's thoughts immediately went to the mysterious woman she had seen earlier. However, upon looking around, the woman had already disappeared.
• What was her relationship to the Quincy family?! Why had she come to pay her respects to Gordon?!
• No, it couldn't be. Angie told herself she was making a mountain out of a molehill; the people who had stood in her way were all dead now. There was no way they could come back from the grave and pose a threat to her.
• It was at this moment that someone discovered something was amiss. The person in question was Wayne Hudson, Noah’s assistant.
• As he glanced around worriedly, he became aware that young Colton was missing. Colton was Noah's son and had come with them on this cemetery visit. Frantically, he alerted Noah. "Sir, Colton seems to have disappeared."
• Noah froze in his tracks, his expression hardening. He swept a cold gaze over the people with him and snapped, "What do you mean?"
• "Colton was definitely still with us just now, sir. It's my fault; I wasn't alert enough…"
• Angie knew exactly where Colton was, of course. However, she feigned an anxious expression as if she had only just discovered the little brat had gone missing. She worked herself into such a state that she looked as if she might cry from panic.
• She made a show of searching frantically everywhere. "How can this have happened? He was right here just now! How could he just disappear like that?"
• "Hurry up and search for him now!" Noah ordered frostily.
• "Yes, sir."
• …
• Madeline shot a glance behind her after she reached the bottom of the hill. She had not expected that Noah would come with that murdering bitch, Angie, to visit Gordon's grave today of all days!
• It would appear that Angie had become entirely too comfortable in Madeline's absence. She even had the nerve to come and pay her respects to the man she murdered!
• Unfortunately, Angie's ill-gotten happiness would not last past today!
• Madeline fully intended to wait for the moment when her perfidious twin sister would kneel before her in tears and beg for forgiveness!
• Right as she was about to get into her car and drive off, she suddenly heard a very faint cry for help.
• "Help…please…"
• Madeline looked around, and her gaze fell upon a little boy lying at the foot of the hill leading up to the cemetery. He was badly battered and bruised all over.
• Her expression changed in an instant. Immediately, she ordered, "Go rescue him!"
• Albert immediately ran over, returning very shortly with the boy in his arms. "Ms. Madeline, he seems to have slipped and fallen down the hill somehow!"
• Madeline immediately ordered Albert to bring the boy to the car and set him down on the back seat so she could check on him herself.
• The little boy's face was covered in blood, so she could not see his features very clearly. His black suit was also blood-stained, and his breathing was shallow. A cold sweat was already forming on his forehead, and he had long since stopped attempting to move.
• The young rascal was badly injured, that was for sure. He had multiple broken bones and extensive bruising all over his body. If the trees had not broken his fall in the process, he would very likely have died.
• Fortunately, the boy did not seem to have any internal injuries. He also seemed to lead a charmed life because Madeline had been on hand to save him.
• However, the injuries caused him intense pain, and he could not help looking terrified. He clung tenaciously to Madeline and refused to let her go. "I'm scared…help me, Mommy…"
• His terrified pleading instantly went to Madeline's heart.
• Immediately, she ordered, "Call Andy at once and go straight to the hospital!"
• "Yes, Ms. Madeline!"
• Unfortunately, the boy had no identifying information on him.
• Madeline spoke to him very gently for fear she might frighten him. "My precious, don't be scared. Can you tell me where your Mommy is? Do you know how to contact her?!"
• Colton's breathing was even more shallow now; he was perilously close to death's door and could not say a word. However, his small, bloodied hands clutched tightly at Madeline's sleeve, enduring the excruciating pain without a word.
• His bright, feral eyes were wet, and the tears poured down his cheeks.
• Madeline did not know why, but her heart was suddenly seized by an inexplicable wave of pain. Tenderly, she enfolded the boy in her arms. "Oh, my precious little one, don't be afraid. I'll take you to the hospital first, then after that, I'll help you look for your Mommy…don't fall asleep, alright? Open your eyes, that's a good boy…look at me! Stay awake!"
• As soon as they reached the hospital, the boy was immediately whisked off to the operating theater, where he was finally pronounced out of danger after a lengthy session of treatment.
• Madeline remained by his side in the room after he came out of the operating theater and did not leave, not even for a minute.
• This young rascal was the same age as her two sons. For whatever reason, her heart ached whenever she saw him. He reminded her of the son that Noah had taken away from her. It did not take a genius to figure out that the boy would not have a pleasant life as long as Angie was there.
• "Ms. Madeline?"
• Suddenly, she heard someone calling her, pulling her back to the present.
• Albert hurried over. He was on the verge of speaking but hesitated for a moment first. "Ms. Madeline, it's young Thomas. He's…he's run off again!"
• Startled, Madeline looked up. "Again? Do you know where he's gone?"
• "He stowed away and followed us here! Unfortunately, as soon as we located his whereabouts, he disappeared. He said to tell you not to worry; he's not going to do anything bad. He just wants to hunt down his Daddy! Once he's made his Daddy sorry for how badly he treated you, he'll…he'll go home without a fuss!"
• Thomas wanted to hunt down his Daddy?!
• Madeline did not want Noah to know of Thomas and Zeke's existence, nor could she allow Thomas to endanger himself.
• "Alright. I'll handle this!"
• The little punk was getting restless now, was he?
• Madeline was determined to deliver Thomas home herself. She crossed her long, slender legs and settled herself comfortably on the couch in the room. She reached for the laptop beside her and flipped it open, then began trying to track down her son!