Back in Time to Fall for Him novel Chapter 19

"Wow, when did someone that gorgeous walk in?"

"Isn't that dress the highlight of the new collection?"

"Her skin is so fair. Look at those legs, they go on forever."

"And that waist. God, it's so slim! I could probably wrap one hand around it."

Within moments, every head in the boutique turned toward Madison, their gazes filled with awe and envy.

Under the lights, the violet halter dress fit perfectly against her slender frame, tracing the graceful curve of her shoulders and the smooth line of her collarbone.

Her dark, slightly wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Through the high slit of the dress, her long, pale legs peeked through with every subtle movement. It offered just enough to captivate, yet never enough to satisfy.

No one could look away.

Seeing this, Kaitlyn froze, and jealousy flashed so vividly that she could hardly contain it.

She'd always known Madison was beautiful, strikingly so —the kind of beauty that burned itself into people's memories.

That was exactly why Kaitlyn had spent years manipulating her, convincing her to dress in styles that didn't suit her, urging hairstyles and makeup that dulled her natural charm.

Now, seeing her stripped of those disguises, Kaitlyn finally realized that even without artifice, Madison was still the radiant and elegant daughter of the Quinn family.

Madison, too, could hear the murmurs rippling through the store. She caught her reflection in the mirror and watched a slow, confident smile spread across her face.

This was what she was meant to look like—the true image of the Quinn family's daughter, elegant and poised.

She admired herself for a while longer, then, remembering something, took out her phone. With a simple shift in her pose, she took a few shots, checked them quickly, and sent them to someone in particular.

…

Over at Goodwin Corp, a string of notifications suddenly interrupted an executive mid-report.

Every head turned toward the source in alarm. Who on earth had the audacity to leave their phone unmuted in front of Sam? Were they tired of living?

Then they saw where the sound had come from—the phone sitting right in front of Sam himself.

So it was his phone. Crisis averted.

The executives exhaled collectively, tension easing. But a second later, their relief gave way to silent astonishment, because the famously cold and unreadable Sam was smiling at his phone!

And with that text came another photo. In it, Madison tilted her head slightly toward the camera, smiling with a playful sweetness that carried just enough womanly allure.

Her neck, slender and pale, stirred a desire in him to taste and to devour her whole.

Sam swallowed hard, his Adam's apple shifting. A dry heat crept up his throat. He quickly set the phone face down on his lap.

The sidelong glances from his gossip-hungry employees didn't escape him. But his expression remained perfectly composed, cold and unreadable as ever.

"Continue the meeting," he said evenly.

At once, everyone straightened themselves.

In the past, Madison never reported her whereabouts to him. When she went out, she would switch off her phone entirely, deliberately cutting herself off, afraid he might interrupt her time with Johnny.

Yet today, she had not only texted him first, but sent him pictures. She'd even taken the initiative to order takeout for him.

Could it be that she meant what she'd said?

Had she really given up on Johnny?