Twin Cupids at Work Daddy Come Home novel Chapter 174

A long, elegant hand appeared in front of Madeline, offering her a small pack of tissues. The driver, his baseball cap pulled low, stayed silent as he held them out.

Madeline took the tissues. “Thank you.” She almost never let anyone see her cry, so she wiped her tears away as quickly as she could.

The car came to a gentle stop. Madeline stepped out. The man watched her go inside, then took off his cap, revealing Casey’s striking, impossibly handsome face. His expression didn’t change, but his dark eyes were full of something wild and dangerous.

When Madeline got home, the place was quiet. Oliver was still at Julian’s, so only Marian was there. Marian noticed right away that something was off and hurried over. “Ms. Monroe, are you alright? You look so pale. Are you feeling sick?”

Madeline shook her head. “No, I’m fine.”

“Did you eat dinner yet?”

“No.”

“Let me make you something…”

“You don’t have to, Marian. Oliver’s barely home lately, and you do enough around here. Please, take it easy and rest. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I can’t just let you go hungry. How about some noodles?”

“Really, don’t trouble yourself. I’m not hungry. I just want to go to my room.”

Madeline went straight to her room and dug out the only photo she had of her mother. They looked so much alike. Her mother had always seemed powerful and mysterious, someone impossible to pin down.

If only things had turned out differently…

Madeline let out a long sigh.

If her mom was still alive, where would she be now? If she was gone, who was really to blame?

Her chest tightened, sharp and aching.

After sitting like that for a while, she opened a bottle of red wine, poured herself a small glass, and sat by the big window, sipping slowly. The quiet of the night seemed to make her sadness even heavier, stretching it out until it filled the room. She had wanted to calm down, but instead, her emotions just kept spiraling.

Marian must have still been worried, because she made a small bowl of noodles anyway and brought it to Madeline’s door. “You should eat something. An empty stomach isn’t good for you. And you’re drinking… I thought you weren’t supposed to have alcohol?”

Since Madeline donated a kidney, her doctor had told her to be careful with her diet, especially with alcohol. She almost never drank, and if she did, it was only a tiny bit. Her tolerance was terrible anyway.

“I just had a little. It’s fine.” Madeline looked at the steaming noodles and felt a little warmth inside. “Thank you, Marian.”

“No problem. Please have this.”

“I will.”

Once Marian left, she still felt uneasy, but didn’t know what else to do, so she called Brenda. She had Brenda’s number because Brenda had helped Madeline hire her.

Madeline sat back down. “Yeah.”

Brenda knew about Madeline’s mom. She’d been missing for years, no news, no closure. It was a kind of pain Brenda couldn’t even imagine.

She knelt next to Madeline and spoke softly. “Don’t worry, Madeline. Your mom is so smart. I bet she’s okay. We’ll find her one day.”

Madeline wanted to believe that too. She nodded and managed a small smile. Then she noticed Brenda’s outfit. “Did you just come from a bar?”

“Of course. I ditched my friends to come check on you. You know I’m a good friend, right?”

Madeline’s eyes softened. “Are you going back?”

Brenda looked at her and decided. “No, I’ll stay. You shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Madeline knew Brenda hated sitting still. “It’s really okay, you can go. I’m fine, honestly. Don’t leave your friends hanging, and don’t stay out too late.”

Brenda’s eyes sparkled. “Why don’t you come with me? Don’t stay home and brood, it’ll just make you feel worse. Let’s go out, get some air. You can even keep an eye on me, make sure I get home early. Come on.”

She grabbed Madeline’s hand and started pulling her toward the door. “Don’t say no. Oliver’s not home, so it’s just us. We can go anywhere we want. Your life is way too stuck in a routine, it’s always work, home, and the kids.”

Madeline didn’t think so. With Julian, Helene, and Raine around, her life was anything but boring. Every day was a new battle, and there was never a dull moment.