Chapter 12
Aiden’s gaze was sincere, his tone soft as he tried to comfort me “What’s eating at you so much?” he asked, the concern in his eyes unmistakable.
It felt like I was holding onto the last lifeline. My eyes welled up and after a long pause, I finally told him the truth–1 wanted to leave Quinn.
But the Madden family’s influence was a whole other beast. Getting custody of my son seemed like an impossible fight. If things got ugly, it could drag the entire Hinton family into a mess we didn’t need.
“I can’t just sit back and watch my son call Diana ‘Mom,” I spat out, my teeth clenched, my brows drawn tight in frustration.
Aiden listened, his expression growing more serious with each word. After a long pause, he asked, “So, you want to get custody of your kid without going head–to–head with the Maddens?”
I shook
head, a bitter laugh escaping me. “It’s damn near impossible to win custody. The only way to keep him with me is to come up with a foolproof plan to get him out of the hospital… without anyone noticing.”
I trailed off, glancing at Aiden, the weight of the idea sinking in. Doubts crept up like a dark cloud. This was risky, and I hated the thought of dragging him into it.
But to my surprise, Aiden didn’t flinch. He gave me a small, reassuring smile. “It’s a tough one, but I think there’s a way “What kind of way?” I asked, startled.
He ruffled my hair lightly, his touch warm and familiar. “Don’t stress about it. Just focus on getting better. I’ll take care of the
rest
Thank you, Aiden,” I said, my voice thick with gratitude.
His words brought me a sense of calm. It reminded me of when we were kids, and he’d always been there–playing the protective older brother, always ready to handle whatever mess got myself into,
That night, sleep eluded me. My mind was too restless, replaying every moment of the mess I was caught in.
Just as I was about to drift off, I heard the soft, steady sound of footsteps breaking the quiet of the room. I opened my eyes, startled to see a tall figure standing by the door.
“Quinn Madden?” I recognized him immediately and reached for the bedside lamp.
It was 2 a.m. What the hell was he doing here at this hour?
In the dim light, I couldn’t quite make out his expression, but his brown eyes were fixed on me. His voice was cold, almost mocking “Calling me by my full name? Things going well with Aiden, huh?”
I blinked, completely dumbfounded. Did he really come here, the middle of the night, just to start a fight?
He stood in the doorway, not coming any closer. I wasn’t about to get out of bed, so I just pulled the covers up tighter and shot back with a sarcastic smile, “What, you want me to call you Mr. Madden‘ instead?”
The moment the words left my mouth, the air in the room seemed to drop a few degrees, and a chill ran down my spine. I heard his footsteps approaching, each one slow and deliberate.
My body stiffened instinctively: Without opening my eyes, I muered, I’m tired. If you’re not here to say something important, then please, Mr. Madden, Just leave.”
“Look at me,” he commander, his voice sharp and authoritative
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Chapter 12
His breath was heavy, right next to my ear. Alarmed, I opened my eyes. He was standing so close, I could feel the heat radiating off his body.
His gaze was intense, locking onto mine like he was trying to see right through me. The faint scent of alcohol lingered
between us.
“You’ve been drinking,” I said, my voice tinged with exasperation as I averted my gaze. For some reason, it was only when he was drunk that he seemed willing to be close to me.
“Do you remember what you once said to me?” he asked suddenly, gripping my chin with a force that made me look up at
him.
I furrowed my brow, genuinely confused. “What are you talking about?”
Quinn’s expression shifted quickly, a dark flicker crossing his face before it settled into a mocking smirk. “Natalia, you really know how to play your cards.
I stared at him, utterly baffled, unable to wrap my head around his cryptic jab.
The tension between us was broken by the soft creak of the door. A nurse, startled by the noise, peeked her head in. “Mrs. Madden, is everything okay?-oh, Mr. Madden!” She froze, eyes widening at the sight of Quinn.
Without a word. Quinn let go of me; his gaze cold as ice. He turned and strode out of the room with barely a glance back. I watched his retreating figure, a mix of confusion, hurt, and frustration tightening in my chest.
The next morning, after a round of checkups, I was told I could be discharged.
Before I left, I visited my son in the NICU. He was recovering well, and in a couple of days, they’d move him to a regular room for monitoring.
am
“Mrs. Madden, should I call the driver to pick you up?” a nurse asked politely, having already packed my things.
“No, that won’t be necessary.” I replied.
I had no intention of going back to Quinn’s villa. That place had never felt like home, not for a long time now. Instead, I drove myself back to my family’s house.
I hadn’t told anyone about
my discharge, and the house was eerily quiet when I got back. Lucia was the only one there.
She gave me a feigned look of surprise as I walked through the door. “Ms. Hinton, weren’t you in the hospital? What brings you back so suddenly?”
“Where are my adoptive parents?” I asked flatly, not in the mood for her games.
Lucia scoffed lightly, her tone dripping with something close to disdain. “Mr. and Mrs. Hinton took Miss Skylar abroad for an art exhibition.”
My stormach dropped. “When did they leave?”
“The night of the 2nd, she replied nonchalantly.
A cold shiver ran down my spine. That date… the afternoon of the 2nd, I’d been fighting for my son’s life, my own body torn apart by premature labor.
Meanwhile, Jenna had come to the hospital to scold me, and hours later, she and Elijah had flown off with Skylar to some fancy art exhibit
Had they ever really cared about me? About my son’s wellbeingh Or was I just a pawn in their game, a tool to be discarded
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when it no longer sulted them?
Maybe it was Lucia who’d tipped off the news of my discharge to them. Later that afternoon, Elijah called
“Natalia, there’s no such thing as a grudge between husband and wife that can’t be worked out,” he said smoothly. I’ve already spoken to Alex. Don’t worry. As long as he’s around, Quinn won’t dare divorce you.”
I couldn’t help but think back to just two months ago when Elijah had told me, in his typical tone, that if I wasn’t happy in the Madden family, I could come home anytime. He’d promised to support whatever decision I made.
So what had changed?
Before I could say anything. Jenna grabbed the phone, her voice sharp and impatient. “If you’ve been discharged, go back to your own house! A married daughter hanging around her parents place all the time–it’s disgraceful!” With that, she slammed the phone down.
Her words hit me like a thousand little pinpricks, sharp and relentless.
I stood there, gripping the phone so tightly my knuckles turned white, whispering under my breath, “I thought this would always be my home…
Later that evening, Quinn arrived. His Bentley roared up to the house, and Lucia rushed out to greet him, only to be met with a cold, dismissive look that sent her scurrying away.
He stormed into my room like a thunderstorm on a warpath, his face twisted in fury, veins popping from his forehead as if he could barely hold back the storm brewing inside him.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, taken aback by his sudden appearance.
“Isn’t this what you wanted?” he snapped, his voice low, simmering with barely contained rage.
I had no clue what he was talking about. Then, it hit me–Elijah must have spoken to Alex, who had likely laid into Quinn about the whole situation.
“Whatever your grandfather said, it wasn’t my I started to explain, but before I could finish, Quinn grabbed my wrist with a force that sent a jolt through my whole body and shoved me roughly onto the bed.
His gaze was ice–cold as he leaned in. “Isn’t this what you’ve been complaining about?” he spat. “That I’ve been neglecting you? So, go ahead–tell me what else you want. Let’s get it all out now.”
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