Chapter 10
Madison’s steps stopped. She slowly looked up. Seeing it was him, those eyes that once held gentle love and shyness now contained only cold, emotionless indifference.
She acted like she hadn’t heard him at all, didn’t see those obnoxious roses, looked right through him, and kept walking.
Ryan was stunned and quickly blocked her path: “Madison? I’m talking to you! I know you’re mad-you can hit me, yell at me, whatever! Just don’t ignore me!”
Madison finally stopped, her gaze landing on his face, but like she was looking at a lifeless rock-no emotion, just complete distance and rejection.
She stepped around him and walked away.
Ryan stood there holding his flowers, his confident smile completely cracking.
This was his first taste of being so thoroughly ignored by a woman. His usually invincible charm and family background seemed like jokes in front of this woman.
A wave of intense frustration and unwillingness surged up.
“Madison!” He shouted after her retreating figure, voice taking on a bitter edge: “The more you act like this, the more I HAVE to have you! Just wait!”
Back home, Blake maintained his picture-perfect relationship with Harper on the surface.
But he found himself unconsciously checking his phone.
His people “keeping tabs” on Ryan and Madison’s activities sent regular reports.
“Young Master Ryan waited outside Miss Madison’s apartment again today. Ignored.”
“Young Master Ryan blocked Miss Madison at school. She took a detour.”
“Young Master Ryan sent million-dollar jewelry to Miss Madison’s residence. Returned unopened.”
“Young Master Ryan tried to create a ‘romantic encounter’ at a restaurant. Miss Madison immediately left.”
Each report was like a small needle pricking his heart.
He’d zone out in class, see Madison’s cold eyes during meals, and be distracted during dates with Harper.
Hearing about Ryan’s rejections would strangely make him feel… satisfied?
But that was followed by deeper irritation and an indescribable panic.
Ryan’s persistent pursuit made him extremely uncomfortable.
He started losing sleep.
Closing his eyes brought Madison’s last look-that desperate, icy stare, her resolute departure.
He’d even have bizarre dreams of her and Ryan reuniting overseas, getting entangled… waking him with a start every time, cold sweat covering him.
Days were the same-details about Madison that he’d ignored over the past two years kept replaying uncontrollably: her focused profile making him soup, the way she secretly cried when he was sick then quickly wiped her tears, her excitement wanting to share news about her scholarship….
He’d found those moments trivial and boring before, but now they were painfully vivid.
This loss of control left him restless.
Finally, one night after getting drunk Finally, one night after getting drunk at a business dinner, he returned to the empty apartment.
Alcohol and intense impulse destroyed his rationality. He struggled to grab a backup phone, fingers trembling as he dialed that number burned into his memory-Madison’s overseas line.
It rang forever. Just when he thought no one would answer and his heart kept sinking, it finally connected.
“Hello?” A cold, distant voice clearly annoyed at being disturbed.
It was Madison’s voice! But ice-cold without any warmth.
Blake’s heart clenched violently, like an invisible hand had seized it. Half his drunkenness evaporated instantly.
Thousands of words stuck in his throat-apologies, demands, orders for her to come back… but he couldn’t say any of it.
The other end went silent for a few seconds, seeming to sense something, then came the cold busy tone.
“Beep… beep… beep…”
Blake held the phone, frozen in place, listening to that busy tone like hearing his own heart stop.
