Chapter 11 Get Back Her Ring

Allen frowned unnoticeably. He glanced at Madison and threw her a warning gaze before raising to his feet and leaving. After Allen left the room, Hendrick immediately grabbed Madison’s hand. “Madison, tell me honestly. Are you two really married? You aren’t lying to me, are you?” Madison’s heart skipped a beat. She did not expect Hendrick to be so sharp. “What are you talking about, Grandpa? Of course, we’re married.” Madison added, offering Hendrick a smile, “We got our marriage certificate from the city hall. If you don’t believe me, you can go and check it yourself.” “Really?” Hendrick still found it difficult to believe. His eyes looked cloudy, but it did not mean he was not observant. He squinted and studied Madison's face, trying his very best to look for some clues through her expression. “Of course, it’s true,” said Madison, smiling even brighter. Hendrick nodded skeptically after getting a confirmed answer from Madison. Then, a relieved smile appeared on his face as he said, “That’s great then. I’m really happy that you’re willing to marry Allen. “You know what, Madison? I’ve wanted you to become my granddaughter-in-law from the first time I saw you. I’ve been observing you for the past year, so I know very well what kind of girl you are. That’s the reason I urged Allen to marry you. “But my grandson… Even though he looks like he can get anything he wants, he doesn't have anyone who can take care of him. Those people from the Whitlocks are power-hungry, and he’s all alone. I’m really worried there will be no one to take care of him after I die.” “Please don’t say that, Grandpa. I’m sure you’ll live a long life…” “No… I want you to promise one thing,” Hendrick said seriously as he grabbed her hand. His hands were shaking, but he was holding Madison so tightly that she found it hard to pull her hand out. “Madison, you need to promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you’ll help me to take care of Allen! You mustn’t give up on him!” Madison was tongue-tied. She did not know why Hendrick wanted her to make such a promise. “Promise me!” Hendrick pressed on. His eyes were red around the rims as he stared fixedly at Madison. After a few seconds of pause, Madison nodded and said, “Okay, I promise you.” ‘I promise that I’ll take great care of him before our contract ends,’ she said inwardly. She was also going to take advantage of this chance to repay Hendrick for taking care of her for the past year. - Madison did not see Allen when she came out of Hendrick’s room. Madison thought he had already returned, so she shrugged indifferently as she rushed out of the nursing home to get back to the studio. However, just as she stepped out of the nursing home, she ran into Vivian at the entrance. She was wearing a pair of high heels and was getting out of a car. ‘What is Vivian doing here?’ “Vivian, give me back my ring!” Before she could figure out why Vivian was here, Madison took a few steps forward and grabbed tightly at Vivian’s wrist. “Madison!?” Vivian was stunned when she saw Madison after turning her head around. “Why can’t you just give me a break!?” she shouted. Her voice was sharp, but there was a hint of trepidation in her eyes. ‘What bad luck! I can’t believe that I ran into her here! Today is definitely not my day!” ‘ However, Vivian was grateful that she had not brought the ring with her today. That ring was her key to wealth. She was not going to let Madison ruin it. “Give me back my ring, and I’ll leave you alone! If not…” Madison tightened her grip. Although she was not as strong as a man, she was slightly stronger than someone like Vivian, who had been leading a pampered life since she had been working here and there for the past year. She tightened her grip again, and Vivian’s expression changed. “Ouch! It hurts! Let go of me! I didn’t bring the ring with me today!” “You didn’t bring the ring with you? Heh, do you think I believe you?” said Madison. She glanced at Vivian’s neck, and although she did not see the ring there, she did not let go of Vivian. “It’s the truth! I’m not lying! I didn’t bring the ring with me! Ouch! It hurts!” Vivian was sweating from the pain as she pleaded. “Okay, okay, let go of me! I’ll give the ring back to you!” Madison released her and said, “Okay. Where is the ring?” Vivian rubbed her reddened wrist and said, “I told you I didn’t bring it!” Seeing that Madison was going to do it again, Vivian rolled her eyes and said, “If you want me to give the ring back to you, then you have to give me money! Give me $30,000, and I’ll give the ring back to you!” “$30,000!? What are you? A robber? That ring is mine. Why should I give you $30,000?” Madison had never seen such a shameless person before in her life. “I… Do you think I don’t want to give it back to you?” said Vivian. Her eyes had become red and wet, glistening with tears. She pouted and continued. “Let me be honest with you. That ring of yours is a ring for men. I can't wear it, so I've been ready to pawn it for a long time. My mom went to the pawn store yesterday and asked for a price. The staff there told us they could take the ring for $30,000. If you don't give me the money, my mom won't let me take the ring away!” Madison bit her lips and fell into contemplation. She knew that Vivian was telling the truth. Lily hated her to the core. If Lily could pawn the ring for $30,000, then Madison was confident that Lily would not give the ring back to her. While Madison was hesitating, Vivian observed her from her head to her toe. Madison was wearing a designer dress today, and she looked dainty in it. She had even regained some of her elegance from the past when she was still one of the Campbells. Although she knew that the dress was probably fake, her eyes still turned red with jealousy. Therefore, she wanted to get the money from Madison as a punishment for making her feel inferior. “Alright, I’ll give you another option. We are cousins, so I’ll keep the ring for you for another two days. If you can give me $30,000 after two days, I’ll give the ring back to you. Otherwise, we’ll pawn the ring, and at that time, you might not even be able to get the ring back even if you have $40,000!” After Vivian finished talking, she entered her car and ran away. Even though Vivian was disappointed she could not meet the bigshot today, she had to run away from Madison right now. She must not let Madison know that someone had come for her because of the ring. Madison could not come to her senses even after Vivian was gone. She kept her head low and stood beside the road as her brain was filled with the “$30,000” that Vivian had demanded. That ring was her only clue to looking for the man that had taken her virginity. There was a voice inside of her head telling her that the ring was very important and that she had to get it back no matter what. But the problem was: where was she going to get $30,000? “Ms. Campbell.” Just when Madison was lost in thought, a familiar voice sounded behind her.