CHAPTER 363 ANNALISE’S NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
"I think Mr. Quincy is truly in love with you this time, Maddie. He's willing to die for you. What else could that be but love?" Elise understood where Madeline's trepidation was coming from. Noah had hurt her all those years ago. It was only natural for her to be insecure.
"He's the great Mr. Quincy. He's always valued affection and righteousness. Didn't he do the exact same thing for Angie?" Just the thought of the man put her into a lot of grief.
She didn't want to admit that she still loved Noah. She couldn't fall in love with him again, much less allow herself to continue this path.
She couldn't experience the feeling of loss again.
"What do you want to do then?" Elise felt apprehensive. She was afraid that Madeline would once again retreat into a shell and disappear alongside her children.
She couldn't imagine what carnage Noah would cause.
"I don't know. I think I need to cool off. Maybe distance will help. These feelings would fade with time if I don't see him."
"Maddie, you've been away from him for a good half a decade. Did you manage to forget him?"
Reality seemed to crash down on her.
Elise cheered her on. "There's no need for you to look so much into it. You're no longer the you of the past. Even if you're in love with him and he ends up abandoning you, will you still be at his mercy like you were five years ago? Have some confidence in yourself."
"I'm scared I wouldn't be able to fight back." She was disgusted by the thought of once again becoming the woman who only had eyes for Noah.
"You'll fight. Did you forget you have three children? You're not going to lose your head over a man, are you?"
Elise saw Madeline as someone who was blinded by the truth but she knew better as a person watching from the sidelines. It was clear that she already had Noah under her heel. She had the high ground. There was nothing for her to fear.
The thought of her children softened her edges. Elise was right. She was no longer the same woman she had been five years ago. She was now her children's pillar of support.
"You've rid yourself of Trenton, Maddie. You should be living as you please. Why are you thinking so much about this?"
Elise said as she used a separate device to send a text to Dylan.
Maddie's upset? I'm going to send Mr. Quincy to her!
Dylan responded with a quick "Got it!".
"You're right. I'm just looking too much into this! Thanks, Elise. I'll treat you to a meal when I get back!" Madeline was much more relaxed now that she had poured out all her worries.
As long as she prepared for the worst, Noah couldn't do a thing to her!
"Sounds good. You should come back soon. I'm getting really bored here by myself."
"Well, the party happening over there is telling me otherwise." She finally noticed Elise's video game playing in the background.
It was clear she wasn't by herself.
"Are you taking advantage of the fact that Dylan isn't there to chat up more cute guys…?" Madeline made a blind guess as she covered her mouth in horror.
Elise immediately denied it. "No way! Do I seem like a person who would do that?"
"Elise, you have a record of ditching eighteen partners in a single month." The thought of it made her laugh.
"So what? Dylan isn't my boyfriend. You say it like I'm cheating."
"Are you suggesting I remind him to confess to you?" Madeline asked in amusement.
Elise interrupted her train of thought. "Please don't. Dylan and I are just friends. Our friendship is over if you say it."
"Just friends?" Madeline didn't believe her at all. The way they interacted told her otherwise.
"Why would I lie to you?" Elise said firmly but Madeline could pick out reluctance in her tone.
Was this a case of unrequited love? But Dylan clearly has feelings for her.
Maybe neither of them was taking that first step.
"So, who's that playing with you right now?" Madeline asked curiously.
Elise lowered her voice and whispered into the phone, "Guess who? You're not gonna believe it."
Madeline guessed every person she knew but none of them were right.
"I'm telling you, you're not going to believe it. It's Annalise," she muttered helplessly.
That took Madeline by surprise. "Why is she over at your place?"
"She went to aid the poor in the countryside before you left and fell ill within days. She had no choice but to come back to get her illness treated. People on the Internet were accusing her of putting on a show."
Madeline remembered coming across news about Annalise helping the poor in the countryside on the Internet. She was wearing plain farm clothes and planting wheat in the field. She could barely recognize her.
Annalise had been put through the wringer.
She wasn't expecting her to collapse within a few days.
"Didn't Rowan try to cover it up?" Madeline asked.
Annalise's brothers still loved her dearly and would do anything for her no matter how much of a nuisance she was.
"Rowan? Nice try. Old Mr. Solace stepped up to the plate himself. He handled everything like a champ. With Mr. Quincy gone, he can flaunt his might as he wants." She was now Noah's staunch ally.
Madeline didn't agree. "Old Mr. Solace has a great influence on the global market. It's normal for his presence to be sought after. But what does all that have to do with Annalise gaming with you?"
"It has everything to do with it. Ever since Old Mr. Solace made his return, he's been harsh on her. She has just come back from suffering in the countryside and is being lugged around to every party in sight before she can even catch her breath."
Elise couldn't help but laugh at the thought of the sun burnt Annalise being dragged around.
The news reports at the time focused on her good well-being but everyone on the internet had their attention on her sunburns and were mocking her for them.
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