After traveling long distances, Madelyn arrived at a stunning contemporary mansion with a captivating exterior design. The limousine in which she was riding parked in the mansion's courtyard, close to a tranquil man-made fountain that graced the center of the grounds, alongside a sculpture garden that cast a serene ambiance on a dark, chilly night.
Madelyn stepped out of the limousine, with Margaux following behind. They strode past the hefty bodyguards positioned at the entrance as they entered the house.
Inside, Madelyn spotted a handsome young man with white hair in the living area, wearing a charming smile. He was dressed in loose-fitting grey jogger pants and a black t-shirt, giving him a cute yet edgy bad-boy appearance that surprisingly concealed his usual foreboding aura.
As she stared at him, her expression softened a little, amused to see her savior tonight since he hadn't mentioned his return to her or Margaux.
"Long time no see, Madelyn," the white-haired young man said, still smiling at her.
Walking toward him, Madelyn spoke softly, "Augustine, you're back so soon. Is this a surprise?"
Augustine, the white-haired young man, ran his long fingers through his messy, sleek hair. "Yes it is. I'm back home for good. Don't you like having me here?"
Madelyn raised an eyebrow, keeping a playful yet indifferent expression as if she didn't mind his presence around her, which made her feel safe. She settled onto a couch, kicking off her heels.
"I don't know if I like it. Whether I want you to stay depends on your work here," Madelyn replied.
Augustine chuckled softly at Madelyn's typical coldness. "I assure you, you'll want me here. I'll be useful to us, and I'm not stepping back," he said, his voice filled with deep longing.
His eyes locked on hers as he admired how stunning she looked in the elegant gown, her natural beauty shining without a hint of makeup. He wished the ceremony were a ball, where he could take her in his arms and have a romantic dance with the angel before him.
No matter how many times he had seen her in designer clothes or casual attire, she always appeared beautiful and glowed in his eyes—he could never tire of gazing at her.
Margaux, who had seemed forgotten in the background during her cold sister's reunion with the other young man, swept a glance between them. Seeing Madelyn hesitate to enter his arms, waiting for an embrace, she grinned at him.
"I've missed you so much, Buddy," Margaux said, approaching her childhood friend.
She attempted to hug him, but he shot her a glare and brushed her aside. She slumped onto the nearby soft couch, stunned.
Margaux scoffed in disbelief that he had done it again. She playfully glared at him, but he didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he focused his attention on Madelyn, still wearing a charming smile that resembled that of a lovesick teenager reunited with his first love after decades.
What a foolish lover boy! Margaux cursed in her heart.
She knew how much Augustine loved Madelyn, even though he hadn't formally expressed his feelings yet.
Madelyn noticed Margaux was upset by what Augustine had done but didn't mind it. She scolded him softly, "That was harsh on Margaux. She only wanted a friend's embrace."
"It's been a long time since we last saw each other, and I wanted to embrace you first," Augustine insisted quietly, explaining why he pushed her aside. "Madelyn can wait. After all, we've never embraced before. It's just a hug, nothing more."
He knew how guarded Madelyn had kept herself between men, so he always chose his words carefully.
Madelyn retrieved her heels and stood up. "Let's skip that. I'm exhausted and need to freshen up now," she said softly while turning away.
Seeing Madelyn leaving with an expressionless face that concealed something beneath, Augustine grew curious about the mission they had that evening.
"Hold on, Madelyn," Augustine said in a calm tone. He approached her and gazed at the dark hair cascading around her neck as if it were hiding something from his sight.
Madelyn turned to face him, noticing he was examining her from head to toe. Augustine breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she was unharmed.
"How did it go?" he asked.
"It went well, just as I expected," Madelyn replied.
However, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was acting strangely, her hair unusually wrapped around her neck. At first, it appeared that she was playing with her cascading hair, but there was something odd about it. He had just watched the media moments ago, which showed Madelyn's confrontation on stage, knowing she had encountered Rafael.
"Did Rafael hurt you?" he asked, recalling their plan to confront him and disrupt his event with the journal, without confrontation.
Madelyn met Augustine's anxious gaze and replied, "Yes. He hurts me and seems angry that I'm alive."
Hearing this, Augustine's calm expression slowly transformed into an intense, menacing demeanor.
She remained still as he gently brushed her hair behind her shoulder, revealing a crimson fingerprint on her neck. The deep hue of the mark hinted at the cruel choke she had endured.
Augustine's eyes blazed with fury as they turned red, his eyebrows creasing at the sight of the fingerprint. He stared at her in disappointment, upset that she had tried to keep it hidden from him.
His mind raced with wild thoughts of how to deal with Rafael mercilessly while his hand itched to grab his gun and confront him.
Augustine turned to fetch his gun and leave the house to track Rafael at the hospital. After taking just a few steps, a familiar hand caught his arm, stopping him. He turned to face her frightened gaze.
"So he tried to strangle you, and you wanted to keep it hidden from me, Lynne?" he asked, though she remained unfazed.
"Don't go, Augustine. I don't want a war where you'll get hurt, and your mafia empire will suffer substantial losses," Madelyn said with a hint of concern dripping her frosty voice.
At first, she had feared telling him about it, knowing it would lead to a bloody fight if he went after Rafael. She was mainly worried about Augustine's safety and didn't want to drag anyone else into her fight, leaving them damaged and helpless.
"Madelyn, I'm not afraid of war. I will take responsibility for any losses my empire may face, and I won't let Rafael go unpunished for hurting you," Augustine declared, his voice steady despite understanding that Rafael was not just a businessman; he was a kingpin in the underworld.
"I understand you're worried and angry, but my identity will become suspicious if you attack him now. The pain he is experiencing in the hospital is minor compared to what he did to me earlier," Madelyn tried to convince him.
She was determined to keep her fake identity from being exposed at all costs, as it would endanger her life, her child's life, her sister's, her brother's, and their future, especially with Rafael and the Slyvain family as allies. They were formidable opponents that she couldn't easily take down alone.