bChapter /bb489 /b

    As Jessica left thepany alone, Brian, still working at Atkinson Group, received an update from his subordinateb. /b

    After discovering that “Madeline” abroad was an impostorb, /bBrian had immediately ordered an investigation binto /bbher /bbreal /bwhereabouts. Now, after a full day of digging, the reportnded in his hands.

    His expression darkened as he scanned the documents. Madeline never left the country. ording to hermunication records and movement patterns, she had been harassing Jessi this whole time.

    “How dare she!” Brian snarled, his grip on the mouse tightening as he scrolled through the evidence–harassing texts, surveince footage of Madeline stalking Jessica, even videos deliberately meant to provoke her.

    Jackson, standing nearby, hesitated over how to calm his furious boss when another call came in. His face paled instantly. “Mr. Atkinson, Jessica just went to meet Madeline.”

    “Damn!” Brian shot to his feet. “Where? Is Jessi alone? Jackson, get the security team and move out. Now!” He stormed toward the exit before Jackson could even respond.

    Jackson scrambled after him, barking orders into his phone to mobilize the guards.

    At the café, Madeline’s face twisted in shock as Jessica entered with four bodyguards. “Jessica, what the hell is this?”

    “Your one–way ticket out of the country.” Jessica flicked a nce at the bodyguards, signaling them forward.

    Madeline bolted from her seat.

    “I’d stay put if I were you.” Jessica’s voice was cold. “Unless you want to risk that precious baby of yours.” It was a bluff. She would never harm an unborn child, but the threatnded perfectly.

    Madeline froze. Two bodyguards seized her shoulders, locking her in ce.

    With the café booked for privacy, there were no witnesses.

    Panic wed at Madeline’s throat. She couldn’t struggle too hard without dislodging the fake pregnancy bump strapped to her belly. “Does Brian know about this?” she spat, grasping at herst card. “He’ll take me back the second you send me off. Don’t get cocky!”

    Jessica clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms to maintainposure. She leveled a cold stare at Madeline. “We’ll see about that.”

    “You…” Madeline seethed.

    Jessica turned away, not bothering to spare her another nce. “Take her to the car and straight to the airport.”

    Without another word, she headed for the restroom, a wave of nausea rising unexpectedly. She thoughtb, /b‘bThis /bbis /bbprobably /bfrom dealing with her. At least this nightmare’s almost over.‘

    Madeline watched Jessica’s back with venomous eyes. ying obedient, she followed the bbodyguards /bbout/bb, /bbthen /bbsuddenly /b

    b13:12 /bbFri/bb, /bb29 /bbAug /bb0 /b

    doubled over near the car.

    “What are you doing?” The bodyguard instinctively released her.

    “My abdomen… It hurts…” Madeline gasped before copsing dramatically onto the ground.

    A bodyguard yanked her up. “Cut the act.”

    “No, no tricks. I swear! Just let me use the restroom, please!” Madeline dug her nails iinto /iher arms to sell the performance with genuine pain marks.

    The bodyguards exchanged uncertain nces.

    “You’ll be right outside the door. How could I possibly escape?” Madeline whimpered, swaying as if about to faint against the nearest bodyguard.

    Finally, the head guard relented. “Fine. But try anything, and you’ll regret it.” After all, Jessica’s orders were clear- transport, not harm.

    Madeline nodded vigorously before turning back toward the café with two guards nking her.

    The moment they stepped inside, her “weak and frail” act vanished. In one swift motion, she grabbed a potted nt from the counter and hurled it at the guards, then bolted for the back door.

    “Stop!” The guards lunged after her, only to collide with a waitress who hade out to check themotion.

    Without hesitation, Madeline shoved the waitress into the path of the pursuing guards and flung a chair at them.

    “Ah!” the waitress screamed, terrified as the chair came flying toward her.

    The two bodyguards reacted instinctively. One yanked the waitress to safety while the other blocked the chair with his body, but the dy was all Madeline needed. She burst through the back door and disappeared.

    The guards immediately radioed the team leader outside, but it was toote.

    When Jessica emerged from the restroom, she was met with chaos–overturned furniture, a shaken waitress, and the humiliated guards.

    “I’m sorry. We failed. She got away,” a guard admitted, head bowed.

    “She got away?” Jessica couldn’t believe four trained guards had lost one unarmed woman. A bitterugh escaped her. “Impressive.”

    The team leader remained silent, guilt written across his face.

    Too drained to reprimand them, Jessica waved a hand. “Forget it. No point chasing her now. Let’s go.”

    As they walked out, Jessica thought, ‘Maybe it’s fate. This n wasn’t meant to seed.‘

    The four guards, ashamed of their failure, silently got into their vehicle without another word.

    i2/3 /i

    1

    b13:12 /bFri, b29 /bbAug /b

    Jessica slid into the driver’s seat, her mind still reeling, so distracted that she didn’t notice the rear bdoor /bbquietly /bbopening /bHidden between two parked cars, Madeline swiftly crawled into the backseat and closed the door without a sound.

    The car pulled onto the road, gradually putting distance between itself and the guards‘ trailing SUV.

    Then came the first red light. In a sh, Madeline lunged forward from the backseat. “Don’t move!” She pressed a fruit knife against Jessica’s throat.

    “You…” Jessica stiffened, barely daring to turn her head. She hadn’t expected Madeline to sneak into her car.

    “Surprised?” Madeline sneered, her voice dripping with malice. “You were so mighty back at the café. Now look at you.” She dug the de deeper, drawing a thin line of blood.

    Jessica hissed in pain but kept her grip steady on the wheel. “What do you want?” she asked, voice eerily calm.

    The light turned green. “Keep driving,” Madeline ordered, the knife never wavering.

    As Jessica obeyed, Madeline gloated–recounting how she had outsmarted the guards, bought the knife, and hidden between cars, waiting for her chance.

    “You’re pathetic, Jessica,” Madeline sneered, tapping the t of the knife against Jessica’s cheek. “If you want to live, go to the hospital right now and abort that baby. Otherwise, I’ll kill you both.”

    宙