Chapter 293 Acting Cute To Get In His Good Graces

“And what else?”

“W–What else could there possibly be?” Madelyn blinked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent, reminiscent of a small, harmless rabbit caught in the headlights.

Sebastian’s frustration boiled over immediately. “Madelyn, you’ve really got some nerve, stepping in front of a knife like that! What’s next? Are you planning to throw yourself in front of a train next? Do you have some sort of death wish?” His voice was laden with incredulity and alarm.

Did she even grasp the gravity of the situation?

To Sebastian, whether she had informed him about the incident was secondary. What truly mattered, and what he found utterly unacceptable, was that she had sustained an injury. The very thought of her hurt was something he couldn’t stomach.

She took a bullet for me last time, and now she stepped in to take a knife for her dad. What will she do next? Does she think she’s made out of iron?

The anger evident on Sebastian’s face made Madelyn shrink back, a mix of fear and frustration bubbling inside her. In that moment when Zachary had aimed the fruit knife at Derek’s heart, if she hadn’t acted, the outcome would have been disastrous.

Madelyn, who had already endured the loss of her mother, couldn’t bear the thought of losing her father.

With these thoughts swirling in her head, she couldn’t help but defend her actions, albeit softly. “Wasn’t it a critical situation then? I did it to save Dad. I couldn’t just stand there and do nothing….”

“Dare you talk back to me?” Sebastian’s frown deepened, his anger simmering just below the surface, and he looked as though he might spank her again.

Madelyn quickly backtracked, admitting her fault in a rush. “No, I was wrong, Sebastian, truly… Can you possibly forgive me this time, considering I’m injured? Please?” Her voice took on a sweet, coaxing tone, and her large, watery eyes looked up at him, filled with a plea for understanding.

“Sebastian, I really do see my mistake. Can you please not be angry anymore? I promise, next time I’ll let you know in advance, and I’ll make sure I’m safe,” she pleaded.

“You want there to be a next time?” Sebastian was nearly at his wits‘ end, frustration evident in his voice.

Quickly correcting herself, Madelyn responded, “No, of course not, I wouldn’t dare. There won’t be a next time!”

Sebastian let out a cold huff, his mood slightly assuaged.

“Sebastian, you know you’re the best. Please, let’s not be angry anymore…” Madelyn continued to act coyly by his side, slowly easing the tension between them.

“If it happens again, you’ll face the consequences,” Sebastian finally warned, his tone final.

“Absolutely, it won’t happen again.” Madelyn nodded vigorously, eager to restore peace to their demeanor. He then shifted the conversation to a more serious topic.

“How did you manage to investigate this matter?” he asked.

“It’s really nothing major, just a bit of cunning,” Madelyn replied just as casually, “I started by having Dad’s assistant dig into Livian’s background to uncover her vulnerabilities. Then, I used that information to my advantage.

“But that Livian was no easy target. She initially declined my invitation. If it hadn’t been for my quick thinking–making her believe that Zachary had already been arrested–she wouldn’t have been frightened into handing over those embezzlement ledgers. While my methods might not have been entirely honorable, it was indeed like killing two birds with one stone,” Madelyn explained without a trace of modesty, a smug chuckle escaping her. “Sebastian, what do you think?”

Sebastian’s face remained expressionless, his demeanor calm.

Yet, beneath that stoic exterior, he harbored a high regard for this young woman’s ingenuity.

Wasn’t Madelyn’s approach a testament to her sharp intellect? Unraveling the deceitful schemes of individuals like Zachary often required some degree of manipulation.

What puzzled Sebastian was how this usually carefree and seemingly naive girl had come to master such tactics.

With these thoughts, he asked directly. “Who taught you all of this?”

“It was my own idea! What, you think I’m incapable?” Madelyn responded, her voice a mix of indignation and playful defiance. “I’m not that naive, you know.”

“All right then,” Sebastian replied, falling into silence.

Just then, Madelyn suddenly remembered her father. “Where’s Dad? Wasn’t he supposed to be here with me?”

A short while ago, in the car, Derek had been holding her tightly.

“Dad has already left,” Sebastian informed her calmly. “The company has faced a major incident and needs him to resolve it. Once everything is sorted out, he’ll come to see you.”

Upon hearing this, Madelyn nodded in understanding, realizing the critical state of the finance department now that the financial manager had been replaced. There would surely be a lot of upheaval within the company that her father would need to manage.

Glancing down at the stitched wound on her hand, Madelyn sighed. Despite the doctor’s skilled work, the sight of the one–centimeter–long scar was still startling.

Madelyn let out a deep sigh, merely hoping there wouldn’t be any lasting scars.

Over the next few days, she stayed in the hospital to recuperate, not venturing anywhere else. Once she felt a significant improvement in her wounds, she went through the discharge procedures and resumed her normal life.

That day, as soon as she arrived at school, Josiah immediately approached her. “Madelyn, what kind of mischief have you been up to these past few days?” His tone carried a hint of reproach.

He hadn’t seen her for two days, and it had left him feeling uneasy.

“Yeah, Madelyn, I went to your house but found no one there. Where on earth have you been?” Jillian added, her tone laced with anxiety.

Madelyn was at a loss for words, so she simply rolled up her sleeves, revealing the stitched wounds on her arm to the group.

“Oh my God!”

The sight elicited gasps of shock from everyone.

After a few days, the red thread used to stitch the wound had fused with the flesh. Though it no longer hurt, the appearance of the healing scar was still enough to make one shudder.

Jillian was nearly in tears. “Madelyn, what on earth have you done to yourself?” she asked, heartbroken.

Josiah was equally shocked. Just a few days out of sight, Madelyn had managed to get herself into such a situation!

With a calm sigh, Madelyn explained, “I dealt with those two corrupt individuals in the company. This wound… it was an unfortunate accident during that process…”

Madelyn roughly explained the circumstances of that day.

Upon hearing her explanation, everyone present was left in utter disbelief, their eyes wide with astonishment.

In just a few days, Madelyn had managed to eliminate two significant “pests” within the company!

Tristan couldn’t help but exclaim, “Madelyn, I’ve never seen a woman as brave as you…”

Josiah couldn’t resist teasing her. “I give up, how is it that you, a young girl, seem to live every day as if you’re in a spy movie?” “And this hand,” he continued, looking at her injured arm, “do you still want to keep it?”

Madelyn felt somewhat helpless. “What could I do? If I did nothing, should I just let them take advantage of the company like this?”

The answer, of course, was impossible.

Since she had been given a second chance at life, Madelyn was determined to change her destiny.