What nonsense was this?
I like Madeline?
What the hell kind of joke is that?!
Even if Madeline and Flynn had divorced, she was still not someone I could ever think of touching!
And then there was Paulina Johnston, calling Mr. Clark a “loser” at every turn.
If he was a loser, then what was I supposed to be? A nobody?
Damn it! These two women are setting me up!
Are they trying to ruin me?!
Nathan felt his anger surge as his face darkened. He lowered his voice and hissed, “Are you two out of your minds? At Lilia’s banquet, I did help Madeline, but only because of the respect I have for Mr. Clark.”
“As for the Stewart family’s matter, after you called me, I confirmed things with Mr. Clark.”
“He was already at the Stewart family’s place, so I didn’t interfere further. How did that turn into me liking her in your twisted heads?”
“Do you even know what you’re saying? Do you know who you are? What kind of women I can have? And why the hell would I like someone like you-someone who’s nothing but a pretty face and completely useless otherwise?”
“This is ridiculous! Go home and take a good look in the mirror. I’ve never seen anyone this conceited before!”
After delivering his scornful tirade, Nathan turned and stormed out of the hall. He didn’t dare linger a moment longer.
He had helped Madeline once out of respect for Mr. Clark, and now she thought he liked her? Was she insane?
Nathan even started to suspect that Flynn and Madeline’s divorce might have stemmed from this ridiculous misunderstanding.
If that were the case, this was big trouble.
Would Mr. Clark suspect something inappropriate between me and Madeline? That’s so unfair!
Feeling as if he were fleeing for his life, Nathan left the Peninsula Hotel in haste.
He couldn’t fathom Flynn’s state of mind, but staying here any longer was too risky. If Mr. Clark really bought into this misunderstanding, he might beat him up on the spot!
—
“For Mr. Clark’s sake?”
“Mr. Clark?”
Madeline stood frozen in place, utterly stunned, unable to find words.
So, everything was Flynn’s doing?
Paulina Johnston was just as shocked. Her wide-open mouth betrayed her disbelief, and her mind went blank.
At that moment, Rose approached and spoke to Madeline in a calm voice:
“From the beginning, none of this had anything to do with Nathan. Flynn was the one who helped the Kaur family.”
“But you said the person who helped me lived in Thodell Mansion! That day, I saw Nathan locking the door there myself,” Madeline said, still unable to believe it.
Rose smiled faintly. “I didn’t lie. Flynn lives in Thodell Mansion, too.”
“Nathan was there that day because he was helping Flynn install a security system. You just happened to see him by chance.”
“I wanted to explain it to you then, but you and Flynn had so much resentment toward each other. I thought it would be better if you went to Thodell Mansion and saw for yourself.”
“Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and for that, I’m truly sorry.”
These words hit Madeline like a thunderclap, leaving her utterly shaken. Her face turned as pale as a sheet.
Thodell Mansion?
Flynn really lived there?!
He had mentioned living in Thodell Mansion several times, but no one believed him. They mocked him, thinking he was just seeking attention or losing his mind.
That day at Plenilune Mountain, Flynn had even invited her there, but she didn’t go.
If only she had gone with him, things might not have turned out this way…
Beside her, Paulina Johnston stumbled back a step, her eyes wide and disbelieving.
“Ms. Sharp… could it be that the Sharp Group’s success is also thanks to Flynn?”
The revelation that Flynn lived in Thodell Mansion was like a knife twisting in Paulina’s heart.
That place was worth three billion dollars.
It was filled with priceless treasures.
Even the emerald bracelet Flynn had given her for her birthday, worth tens of millions, must have come from there.
She had refused it, thinking Flynn had stolen it…
Rose sighed softly. “You guessed right. From start to finish, it was Flynn who helped me. Not General Cruz, not Nathan, and not anyone else. Only Flynn.”
With that, Rose turned and walked away, leaving no words of comfort for the two women.
—
Madeline felt as if her entire world were spinning. Her heart constricted painfully, and her mind went blank. She had to grab onto a chair just to keep herself upright.
So, Nathan had never had any feelings for her. Everything had been a figment of her imagination.
The recent hardships of the Kaur family had all been resolved by Flynn.
He wasn’t a puppet-he was the true mastermind behind everything.
Paulina Johnston collapsed into a chair, clutching her stomach as if it were being twisted by knives. Her mind was buzzing with unbearable noise.
The truth was out, and with it, her daughter’s dream of marrying into wealth had been shattered completely.
Paulina Johnston’s fantasy of returning to her hometown in glory was gone. She was still just an ordinary woman.
Matteo Kaur had been right.
Orion Kennedy and the other influential figures in Niarak respected Flynn, not because of Nathan, but because Flynn was powerful in his own right.
Even Nathan feared Flynn.
And yet Paulina had called Flynn a “loser” to his face countless times, never showing him a shred of respect.
She had even encouraged Madeline to divorce him.
“How could this have happened? How could I have pushed Madeline to divorce Flynn…”
“A man who could afford Thodell Mansion… why would my daughter still chase after Nathan?”
Paulina Johnston stared blankly into space, her entire body drained of energy. Her mind was filled with an endless buzz, as if thunder were constantly striking her. She wanted to cry, but no tears came.
Flynn’s ability to buy Thodell Mansion meant his net worth was likely in the billions.
But the truth was even crueler-Thodell Mansion had been gifted to Flynn by General Cruz. He hadn’t spent a single penny.
—
Madeline thought back to Nathan’s mocking words. Her pale face flushed red with humiliation.
Nathan had called her conceited.
He said she was nothing but a pretty face.
He told her to go home and look in the mirror…
“Madeline, do you think Flynn would agree if you begged him to remarry you?” Paulina Johnston asked weakly.
Her voice was faint; after all, she had once said in front of Flynn that if she ever begged him to come back, she’d throw herself in front of a car.
Madeline turned to look at Flynn.
Scarlet was sitting close to him, smiling warmly, her hand occasionally brushing against his leg.
Madeline’s heart sank completely. Her eyes dimmed as she whispered, “What’s done is done. It’s impossible now.”
The intimacy between Flynn and Scarlet was obvious to anyone. Even a fool could see the nature of their relationship.
Scarlet had tried to warn her more than once. But Madeline never believed her, thinking she’d been bribed by Flynn.
She had even joked about Scarlet pursuing Flynn herself so she could escape her misery.
Who would’ve thought Scarlet would actually end up with Flynn?
The more Madeline thought about it, the more it hurt. Her chest tightened, and she felt like vomiting.
Just then, Scarlet’s wrist turned, and the Carlos Blue Diamond on her finger caught the light, flashing brilliantly.
Madeline clutched her chest, gasping for air as sharp pain radiated through her heart. Sweat poured down her face.
Now, she was certain-the Carlos Blue Diamond on Scarlet’s hand was genuine.
Flynn, who could afford Thodell Mansion, certainly wouldn’t hesitate to buy this ring.
It was worth 170 million dollars.
The Kaur family wouldn’t earn that much in three years.
It should have been hers.
But now, it was on Scarlet’s finger…
Little did she know, Flynn hadn’t spent a cent on the Carlos Blue Diamond either. The Jewelry King had begged Scarlet to accept it.
If Madeline found out, she might have thrown herself off a cliff.
Flynn’s true power was far beyond her imagination.
Even the small fraction she had glimpsed was enough to break her completely.