Chapter 19
I was brought into the Hinton family when I was three years old
To avoid unnecessary complications, my parents told everyone that the missing Skylar Hinton was their second daughter, while I was their eldest daughter who had been abroad for medical treatment due to poor health.
Almost no one around me knew the truth–that I was adopted.
It was precisely this secret that allowed me to claim the identity of the Hinton family’s eldest daughter when the family faced bankruptcy. With it, I demanded that the Madden family honor their marriage agreement.
But I never expected Diana to get her hands on my adoption certificate.
If that document ended up with Alex, it would mean we’d deceived the Madden family intentionally–a revelation that would bring disaster upon the Hinton family.
Diana was using this to blackmail me.
I narrowed my eyes, keeping my voice calm as I asked her, “What exactly do you want?”
She clearly sensed my unease. Smirking arrogantly, she demanded, “Divorce Quinn, leave Enschester, and never show your face in front of me or Quinn again!”
Her g
al was obvious: she wanted to t
marry Quinn.
But what I couldn’t quite wrap my head around was this–if Quinn loved her so much, why hadn’t he divorced me already! I took a deep breath, collected myself, and looked her straight in the eye with a mocking smile. “If you can convince him to divorce me, I’ll do exactly as you say. But the truth is, it seems he’s never even considered marrying you, has he?*
Diana’s face twisted in anger, and she raised her hand to slap me
I caught her wrist mid–air and shoved her back forcefully. Timid or not, I wasn’t about to let her hit me.
Diana staggered, catching herself against the wall. Her face red with fury, she snarled, “Natalia, aren’t you afraid I’ll hand this document over to Alex?”
1 shot her a sharp look, my tone cutting. Let’s assume he believe you. Even if he investigates and finds it’s true, do you really think Alex Madden would let someone who knows his family’s dirty laundry walk away unscathed?
“Go ahead, Diana. Tell him. And while you’re at it, why not try telling Quinn? Maybe once he knows, he’ll finally agree to divorce me.
I said it deliberately, knowing full well Quinn wouldn’t expose this to his elderly grandfather, no matter how angry he was. If anything, keeping the secret would protect the Hinton family.
My words left Diana stunned. She stood there, flustered and reluctant, but unable to come up with a retort.
I called Raelynn to escort her out.
The rest of my day was a mess. My mind was in turmoil, and I couldn’t even focus enough to draft my resignation letter. When the workday finally ended, I received an unexpected call from Quinn’s lawyer.
“Mrs. Madden, the lawyer began, his tone brisk and professional Mr. Madden has instructed me to discuss the terms of your divorce.”
1/3
22:36 Thu, Dec 12 TO.
Chapter 19
My heart skipped a beat. “He agreed to divorce me?” I asked instinctively.
“Yes,” the lawyer replied matter–of–factly. “Mr. Madden has had divorce agreement drafted, which I’ve sent to your email. Please review it. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.”
After hanging up. I sat frozen for a moment, staring at my phone in disbelief.
Quinn had finally agreed to the divorce. It was what I’d wanted for so long, yet I felt no satisfaction, no sense of relief.
My chest tightened, and I took a deep breath before opening my laptop.
The divorce agreement was there in my inbox. I skimmed through it quickly, and my stomach dropped. The terms stipulated that I would need to return 10 million dollars–the engagement gift–to the Madden family after the divorce.
10 million dollars? Where the hell was I supposed to get that kind of money?
This wasn’t a divorce agreement–it was a punishment. Quinn was clearly making this as difficult as possible.
Furious, I grabbed my phone and called him.
you. Mr.
It didn’t take long for the call to connect, and Finn’s voice came through. “Madam, it’s Finn. I was just about to call Madden’s Ind too much to drink. I’m driving him home now, but you might want to prepare some sobering soup for him.”
I froze for a moment, confused. It wasn’t even dark yet, and Quinn was drunk–again?
Before I could ask anything, Finn quickly ended the call, citing the need to focus on driving.
After hesitating for a moment, I decided to head home. Some things were better said face–to–face.
On my way back, I stopped by the nearby supermarket to pick up ingredients for the soup. As soon as I got home, I went straight to the kitchen to get started.
Just as I finished cooking. I heard the sound of a car pulling into the garage.
Not long after, Finn came through the door, practically dragging Quinn, who was completely wasted, into the living room
The strong smell of alcohol hit me instantly. Quinn’s face and neck were flushed a deep red, and I couldn’t stop myself from frowning. “How much did he drink?”
Quinn wasn’t a lightweight–I could count on one hand the number of times I’d seen him drunk in our three years of marriage.
But over the past six months, it had become a recurring problem, each episode worse than the last.
I’m not sure, Finn said awkwardly, shaking his head. “He went Primrose Winery by himself. The housekeeper told me he locked himself in the wine cellar all day. When they finally checked on him, he was completely out of it, so they called me. Primrose Winery was one of the Madden family’s properties, known for its extensive collection of fine wines.
In the bedroom, Finn laid Quinn down on the bed.
Even in his drunken state, Quinn opened his mouth, clearly parched.
I went to the kitchen and brought back the soup. Handing the bowl to Finn, I asked him to prop up Quinn’s head so I could help him drink it.
Quinn choked, drinking too fast. I quickly patted his back to help him catch his breath.
“Natalia. he murmured suddenly, his voice low and raspy.
2/3
零54%,
22:36 Thu, Dec 12 TO.
Chapter 19
His eyes remained closed, but his usually perfect brows were knitted together in a pained expression.
So even saying my name caused him this much distress. How much did he really hate me. Quinn?
I let out a bitter laugh. “Well, this is rare. You’re drunk out of your mind, and you still know who I am.”
Finn placed Quinn back on the bed and straightened up. He looked at me thoughtfully before saying in a low voice, “On the drive over, he kept calling your name.
I froze, my heart skipping a beat before racing uncontrollably.
But I quickly snapped out of it, telling myself, He’s drunk. Drunk people don’t think straight. It doesn’t mean anything.
I’d be an idiot to think Quinn was calling my name because he actually cared about me.
Finn excused himself, mentioning work that needed his attention, and left the villa.
The smell of alcohol on Quinn was overwhelming, completely masking the scent of the room’s incense.
I wasn’t strong enough to bathe him, but I couldn’t leave him like this for the night either. Resigned, I grabbed a set of pajamas from the closet, planning to change him before letting him sleep.
Whether it was the soup or just exhaustion, Quinn had quieted down significantly.
I unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a chest sculpted with defined muscles and a perfectly toned waistline that included a prominent Adonis belt.
There was no denying it–Quinn was a walking masterpiece.
If he weren’t born into the Madden family’s wealth, he could’ve easily made it as a celebrity, captivating droves of adoring female fans.
Lost in my thoughts, I finished removing his shirt and pants. Just as I reached for the pajamas, something tightened around my waist
Quinn’s strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me close, Before I could react, he flipped us over, pinning me beneath him
色
