The Day I Stopped Waiting Was the Day He Started Begging novel Chapter 238

For the next two days, Madeline stayed tucked away at Willow Lane with Evie.

On the final day of her time off, Hunter Holt called her.

"Tomorrow is Eleanor's birthday. I'm heading back to Charleston today—do you want to come with me?"

Hunter had taken Evie's documents a few days ago to personally handle her residency registration.

Given all his help, Madeline couldn't possibly decline an invitation to Eleanor Holt's birthday.

However, she didn't have an appropriate gift. After Evie went down for her afternoon nap, Madeline headed straight to The Rivera Gallery.

She knew Eleanor had a deep appreciation for Ming Dynasty embroidery, porcelain, and calligraphy. After asking around, she learned The Rivera Gallery had just acquired a rare bolt of magnolia-patterned Kesi silk, so she went to inspect it.

To her dismay, when she arrived, she realized the silk featured a crabapple design.

Crabapple blossoms were vibrant and youthful, making them highly inappropriate as a gift for an esteemed elder.

Magnolias were Eleanor's favorite. Substituting them with crabapples felt cheap.

As Madeline hesitated, a hand suddenly snatched the fabric right out from under her.

"This is a stunning bolt. It'll perfectly complement my new oriental earring collection."

The voice belonged to Chloe Monroe.

Madeline's brow furrowed in sheer irritation.

She really should have checked her horoscope before leaving the house.

Chloe acted as if she had just noticed her, gasping in exaggerated surprise. "Oh! Were you looking at this fabric too? I know you wouldn't fight me for it, right?"

It was pathetic acting.

This was Chloe's entire playbook—if Madeline wanted it, Chloe had to steal it.

Madeline had zero patience for her games. Her eyes turned glacial as she looked up.

"You haven't changed at all. You still think that just because you steal something, it actually belongs to you."

Chloe smirked, fully leaning into the provocation.

"If it's in my hands, it's mine. You're just a magazine editor. What do you know about high-end design?"

She didn't know design?

Madeline let out a cold scoff, her gaze dropping to the bracelet on Chloe's wrist.