The Day I Stopped Waiting Was the Day He Started Begging novel Chapter 20

The posture was incredibly intimate and tender.

They hadn't been this physically close in over two years.

Even on the first day he returned, when they had shared a bed at the Yates Manor, they hadn't touched each other at all.

But now... Madeline abruptly shoved him away, refusing to look him in the eye as she muttered a quiet:

"Thanks."

Her eyelashes fluttered anxiously. Those traumatic events from her past shouldn't still hold this much power over her.

She felt a sharp wave of frustration with herself for showing such vulnerability in front of York.

Without waiting for his response, Madeline reached out, grabbed the rescue ladder, and climbed up without a second's hesitation.

As she ascended into the sunlight, the strands of hair York had just been caressing were illuminated in a halo of gold.

Even just her silhouette was breathtakingly beautiful.

York stood in the shadows, watching her go.

It felt as though the darkness Madeline was stepping out of wasn't just the broken elevator.

He gently rubbed his fingertips together, then stepped forward to follow her into the light.

Because of the delay with the elevator, the food was already being served by the time they arrived at the Yates Manor.

Felicity wore a concerned smile, though her eyes glinted with malice.

"Did you two get into a fight? Maddy, you look terrible."

Felicity spoke loudly, her sweet voice carrying across the dining room, ensuring all the elders heard her clearly.

Everyone present knew Arthur had summoned them to discuss a potential divorce, and Felicity was deliberately highlighting the tension between them.

Just as Madeline opened her mouth to fire back a sarcastic remark, York seized her hand.

He forcibly intertwined his lean fingers with hers, locking their hands together in an iron grip.

...What was he doing?

Madeline tried to yank her hand away, but he held on tight, giving her knuckles a warning squeeze.

His actions were so naturally affectionate that no one would have ever guessed they had been separated for two years.

Watching them interact, Arthur nodded in deep satisfaction.

He had always adored Madeline as his daughter-in-law, and with York's career currently skyrocketing, a divorce would be disastrous for everyone involved.

The Yates family members were all shrewd socialites. Seeing that the couple had no intention of splitting, they immediately shifted gears, praising Madeline's good fortune and celebrating the fact that York's two-year assignment was finally over, allowing the young couple to be reunited.

Nobody dared to mention the real reason York had left for San Francisco in the first place.

Sitting off to the side, Felicity gripped her silverware so tightly her knuckles turned white.

By the end of the meal, everyone at the table harbored their own hidden motives.

Once the dinner finally concluded, Arthur called York and Madeline back, gesturing for them to follow him into his private study.

Inside the study, Arthur looked at his son and daughter-in-law, still holding hands, and frowned.

The couple was blowing hot and cold. He didn't want to overstep in the lives of the younger generation, but he needed to know exactly where Madeline stood.

Looking at Madeline's beautiful, composed face, he let out a heavy sigh and asked, "Maddy, I know York has wronged you over the years. I just want to ask you one question: where do you actually stand on your marriage with York?"