Chapter 17

Jasmine, with her curly hair swaying and high heels clicking, confidently approached Madelyn. "What's wrong, Madelyn? Aren't you going to tell me what happened?" she asked, reaching out to Madelyn. Madelyn quickly moved away, her face showing a hint of a frown. Without saying a word, she picked up her lunchbox from the floor and turned to walk away. As she walked down the quiet hallway, her face seemed calm, but inside, she felt overwhelmed. She realized that people around her had hidden intentions. Zach had used her feelings for him, took advantage of her, and then abandoned her. Jasmine had pretended to be a caring stepmother, but she had secretly conspired with Zach to harm Hayson. Even Cecilia, who she once thought was her best friend, stole Zach from her. 'I can't trust anyone. Everything around me is a lie,' Madelyn realized. In another building, Madelyn opened a lunchbox and cleaned it carefully. The foul, rusty smell hit her nose. As the tap water was running, she felt a sharp pain from her injured wrist. However, Madelyn remained impassive. After she was done, some blood was seeping from her wound. It was a gruesome sight. As Madelyn was getting ready to leave, everything suddenly went black. Someone had covered her head with a dark plastic bag and pushed her against the wall forcefully. The pain was intense as she endured kicks and punches. Madelyn couldn't make out her attackers or their number. When they finally stopped, they dragged her into the restroom, taking the bag off her head. Madelyn felt she was about to lose consciousness. Laughter echoed in her ears as she heard several people mocking her. The wound on her wrist, which had opened during the struggle, left a horrifying trail of blood on the floor. With her last bit of strength, she called Zach. Beep. Beep. Beep Zach stopped and took out his phone. Upon seeing that it was Madelyn, his eyes narrowed slightly in irritation. He hit the mute button and tucked his phone back into his pocket. "Zach, who was that?" Jadie asked. "If you're busy, you can ignore me. I can manage alone." Jadie looked stunning today, wearing a beautiful light blue floral dress with her long hair flowing over her shoulders. "It's a sales call, nothing important." Zach dismissed her concern. He suspected Madelyn had lost her patience and was resorting to her usual tactics of bothering him. "Okay," Jadie replied with a sweet smile, offering one of the two ice creams she held in her hand. "Try this. I got it for you." Although Zach did not particularly care for sweets, he accepted the treat. Jadie took a bite of her own. The creamy ice cream melted instantly in her mouth. "Don't have ice cream often." Zach warned, a hint of concern creasing his forehead. "You don't want a stomachache." Jadie responded with a playful stick of her tongue. "Zach, I really appreciate you taking me to the movies. But are you sure it won't interfere with your work? You don't have to accompany me every day; I can manage on my own." She was surprised that Zach, despite being so busy, would wait for her outside school and even take her to the movies. Zach glanced at his watch, noting the time. "Work's been pretty relaxed lately, and nothing's more important than spending time with you. Let's go, the movie's about to start." Seeing the two movie tickets in Zach's hand, Jadie asked, "Zach, isn't Madelyn coming along?" "Nah, Madelyn has some after-school activities. She won't be joining us," Zach replied. "Alright! Let's go then." Jadie smoothly linked her arm with Zach's. The film they watched was a romantic one with a sad ending. The male lead passed away, leaving the female lead all by herself. She decided to live out her life alone. Jadie seemed really affected by the movie's ending, still immersed in its emotions even after it was over. To cheer her up, Zach had a great idea – they would go on a shopping spree. They hit up several stores and bought loads of clothes, all the latest and trendiest styles, until their hands were full. They even had to send the rest of their purchases back home through the store's delivery service. By the time they had finished shopping, it was already eight o'clock in the evening. The night had set in, with the streets came alive with the glow of lamplights and bustling traffic. Jadie, excited from the fun they had, settled into the passenger seat and suggested, "Zach, we should go to the arcade next time!" Zach happily agreed with a soft laugh, saying, "Sure, whenever you want to go, I'll try my best to join you." As Zach leaned in to help Jadie fasten her seatbelt, he caught a whiff of her sweet scent, which was quite different from Madelyn's. This brought back memories of Madelyn's slender and alluring figure. Even though Jadie had grown up with Zach, she still felt a bit nervous whenever he got close to her. Her breath quickened, and her heart raced. Zach noticed her reaction, so he stepped back and checked his phone, only to find a bunch of missed calls from the Jent residence's landline. Since his phone was on silent, he hadn't noticed them before. Just as he was about to return the call, another one came in. Answering the call, he heard Rosario's anxious voice from the other end, "Mr. Jardin, is Madelyn with you?" "No, she's not. What's going on?" Zach replied calmly. "Oh no, she's not with you? Where could she be?" "What? Madelyn's missing?" Zach's expression turned serious in an instant.