Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 186

But then, like a man starved of affection, he eagerly captured her lips again and again, unable to pull away.

As they deepened the kiss, the stinging pain in Madeline's bruised lips became unbearable. She pressed her palms weakly against his chest. Quentin ignored her first two attempts, only reluctantly breaking the kiss on her third push.

She looked helplessly at Quentin, who knelt beside the bed with an entirely unreadable, stoic expression. She tentatively leaned her head toward him. When he didn't pull away, she took it a step further, draping her arms around his neck and burying her face in the crook of his shoulder.

"Hold me while I sleep, okay?" she murmured softly. "And whenever you're upset, I'll be the one to make you smile."

She was teaching him.

Guiding him through intimacy step by step.

Even though Quentin usually projected the commanding authority of a guardian, she realized he was utterly clueless about how to show affection or simply be present. In this arena, she had the upper hand.

As she nestled against his neck, a slight frown creased his forehead, as if he were turning something heavy over in his mind.

Before Madeline could guess his thoughts, Quentin's hands tightened on her slender waist, and he smoothly scooped her up sideways into his lap.

A dark, unvented fury seemed to brew within him.

He had meticulously protected and nurtured this beautiful woman, only to watch those pathetic fools trample all over her.

What were the Whitmans to him?

If he snapped his fingers, Lucius would be blacklisted from the business world entirely.

He suddenly leaned forward, pulling Madeline tight against his chest. It was as if drawing her close was the only way to ground his raging emotions, a physical anchor proving she was safe and he hadn't lost her.

Madeline's eyes widened in surprise. She knew Quentin treated her exceptionally well—despite his sometimes sharp, venomous tongue, his kisses were wildly intoxicating.

Still, she never anticipated this level of fierce, protective devotion.

It made it far easier to sink them all at once. He loathed the Whitman family, and he had every intention of wiping them off the map.

Quentin didn't stay much longer. Once Madeline's IV drip was finished and the swelling had gone down, he made sure her vitals were stable before taking his leave.

Right as he reached the door, Madeline gripped the sheets. "Mr. Prescott, when will my divorce be finalized?"

"One month," Quentin promised. "You'll have the papers."

-

Madeline was escorted back to the mainland.

Once fully recovered, she attended her company's first round of shareholder meetings as scheduled.

After the meeting wrapped up, she stepped into the restroom to apply ointment to her lingering bruises. Suddenly, a forceful hand clamped onto her wrist, dragging her violently into an adjacent supply closet.