Back in Time to Fall for Him novel Chapter 117

The doctor stitched up Madison's foot and wrapped it in less than 30 minutes.

"Until it heals, don't put weight on it and keep it dry. If it gets infected, it's going to be a problem," he said.

"Got it. Thanks."

Madison thanked him, then motioned for the bodyguard to walk him out.

As soon as everyone left, she smirked and pulled two vials of anesthetic from under her pillow. She just needed to regain a little strength, then she would start planning her escape.

She stayed in bed for three whole days.

William heard she was hurt and just assumed Madison had been drinking herself numb. It never even crossed his mind that she was playing the long game.

…

Sam seemed to grow more brooding with each passing day, as if just being near him made it hard to breathe.

Brett spent the entire day chasing leads before he finally confirmed that Madison had been taken out of the hospital by a man and a woman.

When he tried to run the license plate, they told him it was a burner. The pair had switched cars again after leaving Ardelisse, in a stretch of road with no cameras.

Brett only figured that out after leading a team to follow the lead. They discovered the abandoned car just outside the city.

He stopped a safe distance away from Sam and talked like every word might set him off. "Mr. Goodwin, maybe we should call the police."

Sam hadn't gone to the police for three days. He was convinced a rival company might have taken Madison, and pulling them into it could make things worse.

But now the trail had gone completely cold, and reporting it felt like the only move left.

Sam pressed his lips together and didn't answer. The tension coming off him felt thick enough to choke on.

He couldn't make sense of it. If a rival company had taken Madison, they should have reached out by now. Three days of silence didn't add up, unless he'd gotten it wrong.

And if it wasn't a rival, then who would take her?

Right when Sam was completely stumped, there was a knock at the door.

Sienna stepped in. "Mr. Sam, Mr. Ethan is here."

Ethan appeared behind her. "Sam."

"Come in."

The smart-home system was Goodwin Corp's newest piece of cutting-edge tech, fresh out of their research division.

Ethan's eyes widened. It wasn't just the offer that stunned him. He had never realized just how much Madison mattered to Sam. And if she did, then she might finally be the leverage he had been waiting for.

While his mind was racing, he pretended to turn it down. "Sam, you don't have to go that far. I've never done a smart-home project before. If I mess it up, that tech goes to waste."

"It's fine. I'll set the overall direction. You just need to follow through."

Sam made it sound like it wasn't a big deal. After all, the project was the result of years of research at Goodwin Corp. There was no way he would ever completely step back from it.

Ethan let out a relieved breath. "Good. Then I won't slow you down while you look for her. I'm heading out."

He turned to leave, but paused, spun back, and fixed Sam with a hopeful, almost puppy-like look.

Sam caught it and frowned. "Anything else?"

"It's nothing serious. Just… could you not mention I'm the one who snitched? If Grandpa finds out, I'm done for."

He was almost six feet tall, but he still hunched in on himself like a scared little kid.

Sam was pretty much speechless, but he still said, "I'll keep it to myself."