Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 174

The ink on the thumbprint was barely dry when a hot tear fell onto the signature, smudging the ink.

Overwhelmed by severe stress and exhaustion, Lucius's body finally gave out, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood right onto the paper.

The maids recoiled in absolute horror.

The sheer emotional toll, compounded by days of neglecting his health, had drained every ounce of his strength, and he collapsed limply to the floor.

His shirt was stained with crimson spots, and with blood still lingering on his lips, he curled into an agonized ball.

Millicent was terrified by his collapse; she had never imagined the pressure would cause him to physically break down like this.

Clutching her chest in a panic, her eyes welling with tears, she hurriedly ordered the staff to call an ambulance.

Madeline was equally shocked by Lucius's dramatic collapse, and a wave of sorrow washed over her.

But the blood had completely ruined the agreement. She tried to snatch it back to have him sign a fresh copy, but Lucius had already passed out, and with Millicent screaming frantically, the estate descended into total chaos.

Fearing she would be blamed for his condition, Madeline grabbed the ruined document and rushed out, texting Tessa on the way to ask if the stained contract was still valid.

Tessa replied honestly: [It's useless now.]

By the time she drove back to the Emerald Bay neighborhood, a wave of intense nausea overtook her; she held it in until the final second before throwing her car door open and vomiting violently onto the pavement, completely draining herself until she collapsed unconscious.

Meanwhile, out on the distant high seas, a fleet of over thirty massive luxury yachts cruised through the water, glittering with absolute opulence and extravagance.

Sebastian St. John knocked urgently on the door of the master suite on the lead yacht.

Upon hearing a response, he entered immediately.

Inside was his boss, Quentin Prescott.

Quentin was the notoriously powerful Chairman of Thunderbolt Capital, the world's largest financial conglomerate.

"Sir, something happened to Ms. Monroe," Sebastian said cautiously.

Caught in a hazy void of absolute despair, Madeline felt as though she were trapped in a long, endless dream.

In the dream, her parents, whose faces were a blur, were driving her to the countryside for a trip, asking if she wanted a slice of strawberry cake or apple pie first.

Peeking through half-closed eyes, she saw her mother holding up a slice of cake overflowing with more fresh strawberries than cream, smiling as she brought it to Madeline's lips.

The wind outside was howling so fiercely it blinded the road, but she felt no fear at all; she simply opened her mouth to take a bite of the sweet cake.

Everything was perfect.

Her father was there.

Her mother was there.

But just as she reached out to wrap her arms around her mother, a low, dangerous voice whispered right next to her ear: "Madeline! Haven't you been dying to see me?"