Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 257

She had no idea that Quentin was always hyper-aware of being watched.

The moment he sensed Madeline sneaking glances at him, he had immediately woken up.

But unlike the paranoia and irritation he felt when others stared at him, having Madeline's eyes on him actually felt surprisingly good.

Quentin couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going through her mind while she looked at him.

But the second he opened his eyes, Madeline had bashfully squeezed hers shut.

He watched her for a moment, amused to find she was stubbornly refusing to get out of bed.

Unable to resist, he decided to give her a personalized wake-up call.

Leaning in close, he pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her forehead.

Then, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a sitting position.

Their eyes met for a breathless second.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

He asked smoothly.

Madeline thought about it for a moment before answering, "A huge gourmet burger."

Growing up, money had always been tight, so she had always fantasized about the day she could eat as many burgers as she wanted.

Later, when she finally started making her own money after college, her first thought was to take her grandma out for a massive feast to fulfill that childhood dream.

But by then, her grandma had already been diagnosed with underlying health conditions.

She could no longer stomach such high-fat, high-calorie foods.

So today, when Quentin asked her what she wanted, that was the very first thing that popped into her head.

After saying it, she couldn't help but sigh internally.

Growing up poor really did limit a person's imagination.

She immediately regretted her answer.

She was terrified Quentin would laugh at her.

But not only did Quentin refrain from laughing.

His dark, intense eyes actually seemed to brighten.

With a soft smile, he affectionately pinched Madeline's smooth cheek.

His voice was filled with nothing but pure, indulging tenderness as he replied.

"Alright."

Emboldened, Madeline immediately started pushing her luck.

It was only now, learning the truth, that she felt a fleeting, agonizing clarity that she had lost so many loved ones.

But what about Quentin, who had never forgotten any of it?

He had remained wide awake through all that suffering.

No one could possibly empathize with the bitterness he endured, or the sheer amount of tears he must have shed!

Madeline felt as if he had shattered into a million pieces and glued himself back together.

No wonder he radiated such a chilling, unapproachable aura.

He had essentially killed off his former self, transforming into an entirely different person.

Yet, Madeline still felt there was so much she didn't know.

For instance, why wasn't Eleanor Prescott in any of the photos?

And what kind of brutal power struggle had erupted between him and Eleanor during the years they were supposed to rely on each other?

But Madeline didn't dare to ask.

A little while later, Quentin returned carrying an absolutely massive burger on a plate.

Not only was the bun perfectly toasted in butter, but it was overflowing with every single ingredient she loved.

Madeline's eyes lit up as the rich, mouth-watering aroma hit her.