Betrayed by the Father Reborn in His Rival's Arms novel Chapter 456

Madeline watched from the sidelines, her heart racing with anxiety. She knew that while the two men appeared to be merely shooting pool, every single strike was a brutal declaration of dominance.

Just then, a wave of thirst hit her. She gently tugged at Quentin's sleeve. "I'm going to grab some water from the dining hall."

Quentin glanced down at her and gave a curt nod, but couldn't help adding a firm warning. "Be quick. And don't waste your breath on irrelevant people."

He practically ground out the words "irrelevant people."

Hearing this, Silas offered a subtle, knowing smile from the sidelines and kept his head down, focused on chalking his cue.

Fending him off wasn't enough; Quentin was likely also terrified that Lucius would try to corner Madeline again.

Madeline hurried out of the billiards room. As the cool breeze hit her face, she finally realized a patch of cold sweat had soaked through the back of her dress.

Taking a deep breath, she followed the winding corridor toward the main estate's dining hall.

The hall was relatively empty; the vast majority of the guests were still mingling out on the manicured lawns.

Madeline walked over to the beverage station and poured herself a glass of lemon water. As the icy liquid slid down her throat, she finally felt a fraction of relief.

But the moment she set her glass down, the distinct sound of dry heaving echoed from behind her.

Madeline whipped her head around.

Penelope York was standing near one of the large dining tables. One hand gripped the edge of the wood for support while the other was clamped tightly over her mouth. Her face was deathly pale, and her shoulders trembled violently.

She was actively gagging.

Madeline froze for a second before instinctively asking, "Ms. York, are you alright?"

Penelope looked up. The moment she realized it was Madeline, a flash of pure, unadulterated ecstasy ignited in her eyes. It vanished just as quickly as it appeared, melting into a calculated, deliberately suggestive calm.

"I'm fine."

Penelope stood up straight, dabbing the corners of her mouth with a napkin. Her voice was breathy and light. "I just haven't been feeling very well lately."