The Rewritten Love: A Second Beginning (Madelyn) novel Chapter 903

'This is seriously a nasty weather. If they broke my leg and I had to crawl all the way back home, I wouldn't stand a chance. That place is isolated, with that highway cutting through where wild animals roam. I'd be toast,' he thought with a grimace. 'And that Jardin, he's downright cruel!' The sharp pain in his leg was a harsh reminder of Zach's aggressive behavior.

Zach put out his cigarette in the downstairs ashtray and headed back up once the scent had faded. At the far end of the third-floor hallway, Madelyn stood by the window, the cold wind softly lifting her hair. Zach approached her.

With a look of concern, Madelyn questioned him, "When will you stop harming others? Surely, there's a better solution. Why did you feel it was necessary to break his arm?"

Madelyn turned to Zach with eyes so sad and so full of disappointment that it made something inside him ache. He defended his action, "I needed to show them what happens if they mess with us, to keep anybody from trying to stir up trouble here again." He had increased the guards around the place not because he wanted to but to make sure she felt safe and content.

"You're no better than Hayson; you can't escape the wrongs you've done. You never change," Madelyn said coldly, her voice flat and distant. She walked to her room and closed the door.

Zach let out a heavy sigh, pressing the bridge of his nose. At three in the morning, he stood by the study's large windows, watching as snow blanketed the world outside. He thought, 'A whole year has just flown by.' Tonight was different; in his study, he rested on a basic bed. This was the first night he had spent without joining Madelyn in her room since he returned to stay at the Jent residence.

Madelyn lay awake, unable to find sleep. Her frustration grew with each painful attempt to remove the stubborn ring from her swollen finger. She had tried every type of lubricant--body wash, shampoo--but nothing freed the ring. An hour later, spent and defeated, she gave up. Gazing into the bathroom mirror, her reflection showed red, weary eyes. The glaring light sharpened the lines of fatigue on her face.

'So, Zach, what's the game this time? What role have you cast me in now?' she pondered in weary frustration.

As dawn broke and the last snowflakes gently landed, Madelyn curled up in a cozy armchair covered with a blanket. Despite the room's warmth, she shivered, hugging herself for comfort. No matter how hard she tried, she could not wake up, not until she felt an enveloping warmth that seemed to melt away the frost around her. Clinging to this comforting heat, she finally let go of her fight against the cold. A gentle whisper in her ear lulled her into a deep, restful sleep.

"Why does Ms. Jent have such a high fever? We need to take her to the hospital," Margaret said. "She struggled to recover from her last surgery, and now she's sick again. I'm worried about how bad it could get."

"Hurry with the fever medication," Zach said, pressing cold compresses to Madelyn's forehead. But even after several hours, her fever would not break.