Chapter 2: His First Love Came Home

Sebastian's brows drew together, his face full of disbelief. "Maddie, what did you say?" Every reporter stared at Madeline. The whole scene froze. She faced the crowd. "I will not be marrying Sebastian Prescott. That's all." She pushed the microphone into a stunned reporter's hands, turned, and walked into the building without giving Sebastian a single glance. Sebastian pressed his lips together. The panic in his eyes vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by an easy smile. "Maddie and I had an argument last night, and we haven't made up yet. Please forgive the drama." He looked helpless and indulgent all at once. He nodded politely to the crowd. "Let's reschedule the interview. Prescott Group takes this winter collection very seriously, so please look forward to it. We won't disappoint our clients." He turned and shot his assistant a warning look. Dana understood at once. After Sebastian walked away, she lowered her voice. "Not one word of what just happened gets printed. Unless you'd like to never work in this town again." The reporters nodded rapidly and kept their mouths shut. Upstairs, in the jewelry division, employees were whispering in small groups. "I heard Mr. Prescott treats Director Hartwell's parents like his own family. He must be planning to marry her soon." Madeline walked in just in time to hear it. She thought of her father's illness, and disgust and hatred flashed behind her sunglasses. She raised one eyebrow. "Nothing to do?" Everyone spun around at the sound of her voice and scrambled back to their desks. Her mood was black, and her tone turned to ice. "If I hear anyone discussing my private life again, you can forget about working in this division." Slam! The door to the director's office shut hard. The employees traded confused looks. "What's with Director Hartwell today? She's on fire." He had barely finished the sentence when a coworker yanked his sleeve. "Mr. Prescott's here!" Sebastian gave the loose-lipped employee a cold look and walked straight to her office. Madeline had just sat down when the door swung open. "Maddie, what was that? Why would you say that in front of all those reporters?" He shut the door behind him, his voice laced with reproach. He came to her desk. "Give me an explanation. Did I do something wrong? Is it because I worked late last night and didn't come home to you?" Madeline looked up at the man standing right in front of her. Hatred flared in her eyes. Her fists clenched so tightly they trembled. Three years of love, gone like smoke. From this moment, Sebastian Prescott, the man she had once treated as family, was the target of her revenge. She would make him pay for everything. For every day Grant had suffered in prison. For her parents, hidden away in the countryside. For every comfort they'd been "gifted" while being kept in a gilded cage. "Maddie, say something! What's wrong?" He couldn't see her eyes behind the sunglasses, and it made him strangely uneasy. He bent down and slipped them off her face. The next second, he froze. Her eyes were red and swollen, bloodshot, as if she had cried all night. They were full of heartbreak and grievance, as though he were the cruelest man alive. Sebastian's chest tightened painfully. Without thinking, he crouched in front of her and took her hand. "Maddie, why are you crying like this? What did I do? Tell me and I'll make it right. Okay?" She pulled her hand away and gazed tearfully out the tall office windows. "For months, everyone has been saying we'll marry soon. But you told the press it depends on me. You never said you'd marry me. Does that mean you never planned to?" She choked back a sob and wiped the corner of her eye with her fingertips, so fragile she looked ready to shatter. Sebastian tightened his grip on her hand. A flicker of guilt crossed his face. "How could you think that? I was only respecting your wishes. If you want to marry me, I'll have someone start planning the wedding tomorrow." "Okay." She looked down at him, her expression easing. "Then bring my parents back. Both families can sit down and set a date." Sebastian opened his mouth, and his gaze sharpened. "That's... that takes careful timing. You know how my family is about tradition. My grandfather insists on choosing the right date for something like this." "Fine." Madeline sneered inwardly. "Then come with me to the Shenandoah Valley this weekend. I've been too busy for six months to visit them. We'll bring them back to the city with us. They'll need to be part of the planning anyway, and it'll be easier if they're closer." Sebastian frowned slightly. He hesitated, then agreed. Madeline burst into tears. "What, you don't want to?" A single tear slid down her cheek and landed on the back of his hand. It was ice-cold, but it felt like a burn. He rushed to wipe the tears from her face. "Why wouldn't I? Whatever you want. I'll make the arrangements." He took out his phone and stepped outside. The moment the door closed, Madeline wiped the hurt from her face. She pulled out a bottle of eye drops and squeezed some into her already sore eyes. She tipped her head back and shut her eyes, her mind racing. Her father was sick. He needed treatment right away. Sebastian was still weighing the jewelry division's value, and he was still hung up on his first love. For now, he wouldn't confront her. That made her revenge easier. Two months. She wanted to see whether Sebastian and Charlotte would toss her aside first, or whether she would strip them of everything and make them pay. Soon, the door opened again. Sebastian came in holding his phone, looking anxious. "I just spoke to the caretaker at the farmhouse. Your father is ill." Madeline shot to her feet. "How bad is it? I have to go see him!" Sebastian stopped her, his voice gentle. "I've already told Dana to take a nurse and move him to a private clinic in Georgetown. He'll get the best care there. Once he recovers, our two families will sit down and talk about the wedding." "A private clinic?" Madeline's breath caught. Sebastian stroked her hair. "He needs to be kept in isolation, no visitors, while he's treated. But your mother will be right there with him, so he won't be lonely. Just focus on the winter collection for now. As long as I'm here, your father will be fine." A chill slid down Madeline's spine. Isolated care. It was just another way to control her parents and buy himself time. Fine. Sebastian was afraid she'd discover something, so he'd make sure her father received treatment. She mustn't alarm him. Her nails dug deep into her palms. After a long moment, she said, "Have the nurse send me photos every day. I want to watch my father get better." Sebastian paused. His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Of course. I'll arrange it." Then he changed the subject. "Why don't you do a press interview today? Tell everyone the wedding is coming and promote the new collection?" Madeline narrowed her eyes. "My eyes are swollen. Another day." Sebastian had nothing left to ask. He told her to go home and rest this afternoon, then left. When he was gone, Madeline got up and crossed the hall to the office opposite hers. Charlotte's office faced south and was larger than Madeline's. Charlotte had chosen it herself. For the past few years, Madeline had poured everything into building Charlotte's reputation. She had always treated Charlotte like a sister. They had been inseparable. Looking back, she had been unbelievably foolish. Charlotte was so full of herself that she'd forgotten one thing. Every ounce of her fame and status had been handed to her by Madeline. Madeline had lifted her up, and Madeline could pull her down. She pushed open Charlotte's door. The computer on the desk hadn't been shut off all night. On the screen was a message thread between Charlotte and Sebastian. She saw her own name at a glance. Charlotte: [Ugh. Does Madeline think her designs are anything special? She just panders to what's trendy.] Sebastian: [I don't see what makes her better than anyone else. Somehow everything she touches becomes a hit. The division can't run without her right now.] Charlotte: [Her work has zero class. Zero taste. It's so tacky! I could design it myself.] Madeline paused for two seconds. She scoffed, moved the mouse, and opened the folder of designs she'd sent to Charlotte. Then, without a flicker of hesitation, she hit delete. The upcoming limited-edition collection. Every draft and sketch that was supposed to follow. All of it, gone. Since you think you can do it yourself, go ahead. Charlotte didn't show up until the end of the workday. She was always like that. She coasted on borrowed talent, and once she'd made a name, she'd started acting like a queen of the division, coming and going as she pleased. Madeline knew her habits. Charlotte wouldn't even open the files until the last few days before launch. Every time, she'd casually post the announcement on her social accounts and the company website, then sit back and collect the praise from her adoring fans. Madeline stepped out of the elevator and answered a message on her phone. She had set up a meeting for tomorrow with a partner at Whitfield & Crane, a top law firm in the city. She needed a new attorney to reopen the case that put Grant behind bars. Just then, a familiar voice rang out nearby. "Really? Isabelle's back in the States?!" Madeline looked up. Sebastian was on the phone with his back to her. His voice was bright with delight. She stopped walking. She couldn't hear what the person on the other end said, but Sebastian gripped the phone and said stubbornly, "So what if she's having dinner at The Chesapeake Room? She left without a word, and now I'm supposed to chase after her? Impossible. Tell her I already have Madeline!" He hung up angrily and rested his arm on the open car door, his expression complicated and dark. Then he dialed another number. A phone rang right behind him. Sebastian looked up, startled. Madeline pretended she had only just arrived. She walked over, held up her phone, and ended the call. "I'm here." Sebastian put on a tender smile and draped his coat over her shoulders. "It's freezing out. Why aren't you dressed warmer? Are you done for the day? Let me take you to dinner." Madeline's eyes darkened for a split second, but she kept her voice calm. "Sure. Where are we going?" Sebastian opened the car door for her, his gaze full of devotion. "The Chesapeake Room."