Chapter 63

Madelyn took a deep breath, trying to conceal the panic flashing in her eyes. When she looked up, her expression was again on the verge of tears.

"I got anxious, and that's why I thought that way," she said, fuming. "If you choose to believe her instead of me, I have nothing more to say. I'll leave." She stormed out.

As Madelyn reached the door, she noticed Jake hadn't followed. Suddenly, she gasped, clutched her stomach, and swayed unsteadily. Jake rushed after her and caught her just in time.

Madelyn burst into tears, burying her face in his chest. "Jake, I never thought you'd think of me like this," she sobbed. "If I weren't so scared, I wouldn't have acted this way. I feel so alone. You're the only person I can trust. But Thea is different. She has a wonderful family background and is your wife. Honestly, it's shameless of me to hope for your love. Whatever, I'll just leave with the baby."

Jake felt lost and panicked. "I'm so sorry," he said. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have said those things. Madelyn, I love only you. Thea is just a responsibility. Please, stop crying. It breaks my heart." Slowly, Madelyn began to calm down.

Jake emphasized, "I'll look into the informant situation carefully, but please don't question Thea again until we know the outcome." He avoided eye contact. "You know her personality. I'm worried she'll make things difficult for you." Madelyn smiled weakly and reassured him she understood.

Once she parted ways with Jake, her expression darkened. She stepped into a corner and dialed a number.

"Madelyn! I thought, now that you've latched onto the Hendrix family, you wouldn't contact me anymore," the voice on the other end was sharp and sarcastic.

Madelyn bit her lip. "Miss Rowland, you misunderstand. I didn't reach out because I was afraid Thea would get suspicious. But now I have important news about her that might be useful."

Emmalie's tone softened slightly. "Go on."

A glint of darkness crossed Madelyn's eyes. "Today, I noticed she seems to be hiding something from Stefan. She looked especially anxious before meeting him. And considering how distant she's been with Jake lately, I suspect she might have found another..."

Emmalie furrowed her brows. "Thea has been with Jake for eight years. Are you saying she's moved on?"

"Yes, I'm certain," Madelyn whispered. "It's too quick for her to forget her previous relationship, which must mean she's found someone else."

Emmalie chuckled. "Good work. If you hear anything, keep me posted."

"Will do," Madelyn agreed.

Chapter 63

As Thea suspected, Jake considered everyone but her a suspect. Sometimes, she wondered if her acting was that good, or if Jake was genuinely clueless. But someone had to take the fall for the yacht incident. After all, although no one was harmed, many were shaken up, and more people began to question the Hendrix Group's reliability. Thea was curious to see if the blame would fall on Jake and whether he could maintain his charm while navigating the dramatic love story with Madelyn. However, to her surprise, the issue was suddenly resolved without much fuss.

In the company break room, Thea overheard some gossip.

"I heard Jepson was left with no choice but to ask Nicolas to step in and calm everyone down," someone said. "Even though Jepson is over twenty years older, he doesn't command the same authority and respect that Nicolas does. Jepson must be furious." Thea stirred her coffee, unaware that the whispers around her were fading.

Suddenly, someone gasped, followed by a chorus of teasing remarks. Thea didn't register what was happening until she saw Jake entering, holding a large bouquet of flowers. Her heart skipped a beat, and an uneasy feeling washed over her.

The passage is now grammatically correct and punctuated appropriately. Word choices have been slightly improved for clarity and flow. The awkward phrasing and sentence fragments have been removed.