Chapter 5
Upon hearing this vaguely, Andy frowned and instinctively moved closer to Maddie.
“What did you just say? Regret what?”
She was too exhausted to respond. Unable to hold on any longer, her vision faded to black, and she lost consciousness.
Maddie didn’t know how much time had passed before she awoke in a hospital.
When she opened her eyes, she saw Andy sitting beside the bed, reaching out to touch her.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?”
Remembering what had occurred before she fainted, Maddie closed her eyes, trembling, and recoiled from his touch.
“Where’s my watch? Mr. Loreine, please give it back to me.”
Andy examined her closely, and after confirming she was alright, he produced the repaired watch and handed it to her.
“You really care about this watch–I had it repaired for you. You assaulted someone, and I punished you. Let’s consider this settled and not dwell on it anymore.”
When Maddie saw her father’s memento safely back in her possession, tears almost spilled from her eyes.
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But she restrained them and looked at Andy. “I don’t want to argue, Mr. Loreine. Our years together were simply a mutually beneficial arrangement. I have no right to ask anything from you. In the future, I’ll know my boundaries and won’t overstep again.”
For some reason, her demeanor sparked a flicker of anger in Andy, and his voice became icy.
“Are you being petty with me? Or trying to set boundaries?”
Despite his sudden coldness, Maddie wasn’t as frightened as before. Her voice remained steady.
“I’m not being petty, just stating facts. As for setting boundaries… perhaps. After all, soon I’ll…”
With every word she spoke, Andy’s expression grew more severe.
He was about to say something when Crystal called.
“Andy, I’ve reserved a table at a really nice restaurant. Want to join me?”
In an instant, Andy pulled himself together,
He no longer had the time or patience to listen to Maddie and left.
The door slammed shut, leaving the unfinished words “disappear forever” stuck in her throat.
Watching his resolute figure leave, she gave a self–deprecating smile.
After spending a few days in the hospital, Maddie’s frail body slowly regained strength.
During this time, no one came to visit her, but Crystal sent her
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numerous messages almost every day.
In the photos and videos, she sat in the passenger seat enjoying snacks while Andy, normally a stickler for cleanliness, would open the packages for her. When she mentioned missing his parents, he took her to the family estate for dinner. If she casually admired something in a magazine, it would appear in front of her within an hour.
These thoughtful and attentive gestures were things Maddie had never experienced.
Even during the times‘ Andy seemed to cherish her, he never let her eat in the car, never considered introducing her to his family, and never remembered any of her offhand comments.
She came to realize that the effort and affection required to maintain a plaything could never match the devotion given to someone truly loved.
Only Crystal deserved Andy’s complete patience and focus.
