Chapter 287 What Is There To Hide

Darn it! Is this man even human? Hitting a woman is already low enough. Truly disgusting! Now even laying hands on a...

Madelyn was seething with anger. She didn’t know where she got the strength from, but she managed to kick the door open. Then, she darted in, catching the fierce man off guard with a swift kick. Her movements were graceful and precise, exuding an imposing presence.

The tall man was surprisingly knocked to the ground by her.

After completing this series of actions, Madelyn swiftly shielded the child in her arms and unleashed a torrent of curses at the man. “Your name is Jeremiah Lane, right? I’ll remember you, b*stard!”

Jeremiah and Livian were stunned upon seeing the woman of unknown origins, especially Jeremiah, who, after picking himself up from the ground, was instantly filled with a murderous aura. “Where did you come from, b*tch? How dare you hit me? You’re courting death!”

“You’re the one courting death.” Madelyn replied, approaching and firmly gripping the man’s broad shoulders. Without hesitation, she executed a ruthless over-the-shoulder throw.

Jeremiah fell to the ground, groaning in pain. He couldn’t believe he was taken down by that woman again, nearly driving him mad. “You wretched woman! Are you seeking death?”

With that, Jeremiah suddenly lifted the stool next to him. Just as Madelyn prepared to receive the incoming stool, Jeremiah unexpectedly changed direction, hurling it toward Livian instead.

Madelyn’s heart skipped a beat. “Look out!”

However, the situation unfolded so abruptly that Livian had no time to dodge, and she inevitably took the hit. She let out a loud cry of pain, her body aching as if it were about to fall apart in an instant.

This man is utterly despicable!

Just as the man was about to strike again, Madelyn became anxious, yelling, “Jeremiah, I’ve already called the police! They’ll be here in a minute. If you’re not scared, go ahead and make your move!”

A visible shudder ran through Jeremiah when he heard that. Immediately after, he tossed aside the stool, glared at Livian in resentment, and warned. “You just wait!”

With that, he took off like a shot.

After watching her husband leave, Livian finally breathed a sigh of relief. Right then, she abruptly got up and rushed forward, snatching her child from Madelyn’s hands.

“Ms. Thornton, what brings you here?” Her gaze held a significant amount of wariness.

Madelyn felt a mix of sympathy and helplessness. “Nothing. I just came specifically to see you. I thought we could have a chat.”

“Chat?” Livian chuckled coldly, her expression far from friendly. “We’re not familiar with each other, so there’s nothing to discuss. Please leave.”

After saying that, she picked up the still-crying child and sat down on the couch with him. Then, she placed some small toys in front of the child, trying to cheer him up.

Moved by the scene, Madelyn couldn’t help but think of her mother. Every mother in the world loves her child. This aspect of motherly love in Livian shows that her humanity hasn’t completely deteriorated.

Naturally, Madelyn didn’t intend to give up. Especially now that the matter has already alerted the enemy, might as well sit and properly chat with Livian.

With that in mind, Madelyn headed over and sat on the couch beside Livian. Her tone softened considerably as she said, “Ms. Cook, I merely want to chat with you. There’s no need to be so alarmed. Or have you done something you’d rather keep hidden, and that’s why you deliberately want to avoid me?”

“What are you blabbering about?” Livian’s expression darkened immediately. “We’re just not familiar with each other. What’s there to hide?”

“Really?” Madelyn gave a light smile. “Since you’re so open in your actions, what’s wrong with talking to me?”

Livian opened her mouth but surprisingly found herself at a loss for words.

Ten minutes later, at a café, Livian ultimately couldn’t resist Madelyn and was brought over by the latter with persuasion and coercion.

After finding a spot to sit, Madelyn ordered two cups of coffee before looking at Livian’s child, smiling as she asked, “What an adorable child. How old is he?”

Livian was visibly not used to her tone. Who doesn’t know Ms. Thornton has always been arrogant? Only a ghost would know whether her words were genuine or just pretense. Besides, no one visits without a reason. In the past, we barely had any interaction. There must be an issue since Ms. Thornton inexplicably sought me out now. Could it be that she has discovered something?

“Nearly turning two now.” After all those thoughts, Livian’s voice was still icy cold.

“Looks like it’s a boy, right?” Madelyn didn’t seem to mind and merely smiled. “He’s well taken care of, fair and chubby with well-proportioned features. He’s sure to be a little heartthrob when he grows up. With such a big head, I bet his academic performance will be great. Who knows, he might even become a pillar of society.”

Livian scoffed disdainfully at those words. “Give me a break. I’ll be content if he doesn’t turn out like his dad.”

Despite saying that, her actions betrayed her true feelings as she held the child tightly, fearing the little one might accidentally get hurt.

Madelyn felt a warmth spreading through her heart as she watched.

Livian is a classic case of being sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. She values her child more than her own life, yet she insists on pretending to be indifferent. However, discussing business with a child around can inevitably lead to distractions.

Hence, at that moment, Madelyn gestured toward the nearby children’s area and said, “Ms. Cook, there’s a kids' area over there. You can let your child play by himself while we have a serious discussion.”

After some thought, Livian did as she was told.

Watching the child rolling around in the children’s area, giggling with a bouncy balloon in hand, Livian felt relieved, her worries significantly lessened, and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.

Returning to her seat, she didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly, “May I know why you sought me out, Ms. Thornton? What is it that you need?”

Ms. Thornton is notoriously obstinate. All I hope for is that she won’t give me a hard time.

“I won’t beat around the bush, then.” Madelyn straightened her expression, getting straight to the point. “Ms. Cook, I’m here to negotiate terms with you.”

Livian sneered. “Ms. Thornton, we don’t seem to have much to negotiate, do we?”

Madelyn nonchalantly curved her lips into a smile. “Are you sure?”

“Though you might be the future heir of the company, I only work for my boss, Zachary, the finance manager. If you have any matters to discuss, shouldn’t you be speaking to him instead? There’s nothing for us to discuss,” Livian declined with unruffled composure.

Madelyn couldn’t help but click her tongue. As expected of Zachary’s trusted subordinate. She’s truly loyal to the core. Well, it made sense. In my previous life, Livian had helped Zachary with all sorts of misdeeds. How could she possibly be friendly toward me so easily?

With that in mind, Madelyn decided to be straightforward, saying “Ms. Cook, let’s not jump to conclusions. Take a look at this first.”

After she finished speaking, Madelyn pulled out an iPad from her bag. She had already copied over the surveillance footage from that day from Tristan.