Chapter 2
Madeleine spent the entire night tossing and turning as she mulled over what would happen in the future. Sullivan didn’t return to the villa that night, and she didn’t call him to ask him about it, either.
The next morning, she got up early and freshened up before heading down to the dining room to have breakfast alone. All was quiet in the villa. Only the sound of her chewing could be heard.
Once she was done with breakfast, her butler, Alfred Lane, approached with a doubtful expression and said, “Per your instructions, Ms. Emerson, I have dismissed all of the household staff. I will also be heading back to the Emerson residence today. Are you sure you won’t be needing any staff here?”
“Nope,” Madeleine replied.
She wasn’t going to be staying here much longer anyway.
Despite noticing the concern in Alfred’s eyes, Madeleine didn’t bother explaining much further. She went upstairs to retrieve a letter. Passing it to Alfred, she instructed him to make sure he delivered it safely to her parents, Frank Emerson and Cynthia Green.
Worried that Frank and Cynthia would be beside themselves with grief at the news of her supposed death, Madeleine wrote a letter informing them of her decision to fake her death.
It clearly stated that in 17 days, she would move abroad and live under a new identity. She also told them not to worry about her and promised to sneak back to the country to visit them once the opportunity arose.
Madeleine had considered taking her parents with her, but they were both in the latter half of their lives, and the family business was also based here.
Moreover, it was still rather incredulous to think that she had suddenly awakened to the realization that this was a world within a novel. There was no way to explain this situation easily, and her parents might even think she had lost her mind.
She was also concerned that Sullivan would get suspicious if her parents disappeared at the same time she did. Thus, after much deliberation, she decided to leave her parents behind and go off alone.
Now that Madeleine was done with all of the arrangements on her end, she started wrapping up loose ends that involved Sullivan. Once Alfred left as well, she prepared a fruit basket and went to visit Naomi.
Madeleine wasn’t a typical spoiled heiress. Over the last few years, she often dropped by to see Naomi whenever she had some time to spare, always bringing a lot of things with her when she did.
She would talk to Naomi, tell her jokes to make her laugh, and do things to kill Naomi’s boredom. She even taught Naomi how to use a cell phone so that Naomi could see what was going on out in the world.
Compared to the aloof Sullivan, Naomi very much preferred Madeleine.
“Maddie, when do you and Sullivan plan on getting married?” Naomi asked.
It wasn’t the first time Naomi asked this question, but this time, Madeleine didn’t blush in embarrassment the way she usually did. Instead, all she felt like doing was letting out a wry chuckle. Why would she and Sullivan ever get married?
She was leaving in 17 days, but even if she weren’t, things would probably end up happening the way they did in the novel.
Sullivan loved Isabel. There was no way he would marry her.
Naomi couldn’t help but sigh at Madeleine’s prolonged silence, but she tried to assure Madeleine, “I know what Sullivan’s like. It’s not that he doesn’t have any feelings for you. It’s just that your relationship started off on the wrong foot. I’m sure that affects him.
“As long as he no longer minds that, things will surely work out between you two.”
Madeleine forced herself to smile at Naomi, but she knew the plot of the novel. She was aware that there was only one person Sullivan ever loved, and that was Isabel.
It was only natural for the male protagonist to love the female protagonist. Why would he fall in love with the female antagonist?
Still, she didn’t say anything to refute Naomi. Instead, she brought out a debit card and said, “Mrs. Carter Senior, when you find the chance, please pass this to Sullivan for me.”
The card gave access to a bank account that held the funding Madeleine had prepared for Sullivan a long time ago. However, worried that the gesture might end up hurting his pride, she kept hesitating, not knowing how to give it to him.
Now that she knew the truth about this world and had decided to leave, she figured she could just have Naomi pass it on for her. She hoped that by doing so, Sullivan would think ever so slightly better of her. That way, once she successfully faked her death, he would at least treat her body with respect.
Naomi instantly noticed that something was up with Madeleine, so she asked worriedly, “Did you and Sullivan have a fight?”
Shaking her head, Madeleine said, “We didn’t fight. It’s just that I’ll be leaving for a faraway place soon and—”
Before she could finish her sentence, a crisp voice interrupted to ask, “Where is this faraway place you’re leaving to?”
