"Wow! I'm going to be an aunt! You're going to be a mother!" Margaux exclaimed, throwing her fist into the air in celebration.
For a moment, Madelyn's anxiety faded in the warmth of her sister's excitement, and she felt her cheeks flush.
"Will the baby be a boy or a girl?" Margaux asked. Madelyn opened her mouth to respond, but Margaux interrupted her. "Whether it's a girl or a boy, I will be there to help raise the baby to be strong like me."
Margaux placed her hand on Madelyn's flat belly, rubbing it tenderly, as if she could feel the baby within. Her smile widened.
But then, the thought that Rafael was the father—and that he didn't love her sister cast a shadow over Margaux's joy. Her happiness shifted to worry, twisting anxiously in her gut.
"Does Rafael know about it?" Her voice trembled with concern as she tried to comprehend the situation.
"No, he doesn't know yet. I'm scared he might ask me to get rid of the baby," Madelyn replied softly, her gaze downcast.
"I'm just upset that my baby will grow up without a father to care for and protect him," she murmured.
Margaux inhaled sharply to steady her emotions, understanding the conflicted feelings her sister was experiencing. That fear and pain were familiar, born from their childhood spent wishing for more support, despite having a father.
Margaux settled back on the couch and pulled Madelyn into another comforting embrace. "Don't be afraid, Sis. We can get through this together," she reassured her, rubbing Madelyn's back.
A relieved smile broke across Madelyn's lips. "Thanks, Margaux," she whispered in sincerity.
As Madelyn lingered in her sister's arms, comforted by her unwavering support, she felt, for the first time in weeks, that everything might just be okay. If it weren't for Margaux, her world might have crumbled without biological siblings by her side.
"You're always welcome, sis. I will always be here to support and protect you," Margaux reassured her once again.
Suddenly, Madelyn's stomach growled, prompting both sisters to burst into laughter.
"You foodie! What should I get for you? The baby might be hungry too," Margaux asked.
"I'll be okay with anything," Madelyn replied.
"Let me make your favourite meal, then." Margaux stood up from the couch and headed to the open kitchen behind them.
While Madelyn felt at ease, she lay gently on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She logged into her bank account to check how much she had left to sustain herself once she left the country.
She realised there wasn't much in her savings and understood that she needed to work hard to earn enough.
As she contemplated what job to take next, a sudden call interrupted her. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was from her father's assistant and swiped to answer the call.
"Vincent," Madelyn said, speaking into the phone.
"Young Miss!" Vincent's voice sounded panicked.
"I'm listening," Madelyn replied.
"Where are you? The young master has had a fatal accident and needs critical medical attention, but the doctor won't proceed without someone signing the consent form. Mr. Tristan hasn't returned yet, and your stepmother refused to sign it," he explained hurriedly.
Madelyn jolted upright from the couch, her chest heaving. Confusion flickered in her eyes. "What happened to my brother, Gabriel? How did he get into an accident?"
"Gabriel went to Rafael's bar to confront him when he found out that Erica was pregnant with his child and about the 10% shares he claimed from your father. They had a heated argument that escalated into a fight," Vincent explained.
A heavy gasp escaped Madelyn's lips, and her heart skipped a beat. "No, you must have made a mistake. Rafael wouldn't go that far to betray us," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I think there's been some misinformation."
"No, Miss. It has been a week since Rafael claimed his percentage in the business partnership. That's not important now; you should come sign the consent form and deposit the surgery money," Vincent insisted.
Madelyn clenched her fists, pain cutting through her chest. "Okay. Okay. Can I know how much the surgery costs? And what's the hospital's location? I need to be there."
"I will send you the details. Please hurry to the hospital," he said before hanging up.
"No, this can't be happening," Madelyn muttered, pacing back and forth as she anxiously bit her fingernails.
She couldn't imagine how their argument ended, knowing her older brother's quick temper. They rarely let him drive when he was angry because he had almost gotten into an accident before.
Margaux was about to turn on the stove, but stopped when she heard the anxious tone in her sister's voice. She rushed back into the living room.
"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing beads of sweat forming on Madelyn's forehead.
Madelyn leaned closer to Margaux, her expression filled with fear. "Margaux... our brother... Gabriel had a fatal accident. He needs us," she stuttered, the words heavy in her throat.
Margaux's jaw dropped, her heart racing. "How could this happen? Let's go to him!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.
Just then, a message from the butler beeped on Madelyn's phone. It contained the hospital address and the cost of the surgery, which was ten thousand dollars.
"That's an enormous sum of money!" Margaux exclaimed, staring at the figure on Madelyn's phone. "How can we manage that? You know I've been struggling lately."
"I have eight thousand in my savings. We'll deposit that first and figure out the rest later. I'll find a way," Madelyn replied, her fingers tightening around the phone as a surge of anger and frustration welled up inside her.
She couldn't shake her curiosity about why Rafael hurt them this way.
Madelyn turned to her sister. "You should go to the hospital first and make the transfer while I confront Rafael," she suggested, placing her phone into Margaux's hands.
Margaux frowned. "I won't let you go back! You told me he's adamant about divorcing you. What if he traps you in the mansion?"
"He wouldn't do that. I need to know why he acted this way." Madelyn's voice trembled. "Please, go to Brother Gabriel first. We can't let his condition worsen."
Margaux let out a complicated sigh, feeling torn about letting Madelyn confront Rafael, but she also couldn't delay their brother's treatment.
She reached for her phone on the couch and handed it to Madelyn. "Okay, I'll go to the hospital. So, take my phone and call me if things don't go well. I don't trust that jerk, Rafael!"
Madelyn nodded in agreement.
Without hesitation, Margaux dashed out of the house.
***
Madelyn returned to the quiet mansion after a long drive, and she stormed in only to immediately spotted Rafael dining alone at the dining table.
With each determined step, she felt her pain tighten her grip on her inner turmoil, almost as if she could physically contain the raging storm inside her.
When she reached him, she halted directly in front of him. "Why did you do that? Why steal that asset and hurt my brother?" she demanded, her voice trembling with both anguish and anger. Her words carried the weight of hope that he hadn't acted out of mere greed or selfish desire.
Rafael remained unfazed, sparing her no glance and giving no immediate reply to her desperate inquiry. He brought a piece of steak to his mouth and chewed slowly, savouring each morsel as if its flavour could somehow dilute the emotions within him from his recent encounter with Gabriel almost an hour ago.
Seeing him relax as though she were just a passing breeze only deepened her bitterness. In a sudden burst of rage, Madelyn slammed her hand on the table, producing a loud bang that made the meal tremble and caused the water in his cup to spill onto his suit.
Rafael furrowed his brow.