Chapter 205

Tanner Long!

This tramp!

How could he have gotten in?

Confusion and unease settled in Meredith’s stomach.

Tanner was pointing at Vera, claiming she was a ghost with eyes blown wide and fright written all over his face!

That could only mean that he had mistaken Vera for Madeline and was sent into shock. Being sent into shock meant that he could end up saying things he should not!

However, Madeline’s lips quirked at Tanner’s terrified scream. From the corner of her eyes, she watched anxiety flash across Meredith’s expression. Then, Madeline approached Tanner with a confused look.

Locking eyes with Madeline, Tanner’s fright grew as he began to shout. “Ah! It-It’s really… It’s you!”

Coupled with the influence of alcohol, he believed without a doubt that Madeline’s ghost had come to haunt him!

For all the horrible things he had done in his life, it made sense to feel such a heavy weight of guilt.

Madeline raised a brow and asked with mock confusion, “Do you know this man, Mr. Whitman? Why does he look so afraid of me?”

Jeremy had no idea that Madeline was the one who sent Tanner the invitation, allowing him to attend tonight’s celebration.

He furrowed his brows and walked toward Tanner, frost seeping from his attractive features.

The sight of Tanner reminded him of how this horrendous man had tried to rape Madeline twice and how he proclaimed to have an illicit relationship with her.

“Jeremy!” Meredith quickly ran over to pull Jeremy back by his arm. “Today’s the 50th anniversary of Whitman Corporation, Jeremy. Let’s not ruin the atmosphere for everybody just because of him, alright? Just have the bodyguards throw him out. You shouldn’t have to deal with it yourself.”

“Am I safe to presume that you all recognize this man, Miss Crawford?” Madeline walked over curiously. “Who is he exactly?”

Meredith frowned, displeased. “He used to be one of Madeline’s friends, or rather, Madeline and he were involved in that kind of relation—”

“Enough.”

Jeremy parted his lips to interrupt, the ferocity in his icy tone rendering Meredith silent.

His gaze and expression as of that moment had people shivering.

“Oh… Is that who he is?” Madeline nodded in understanding before slowly walking toward Tanner who was stumbling on his feet with a hand on the table for support. “Well then, Sir. You don’t seem very welcomed here. Perhaps you should leave…”

“Don’t come close, Madeline! Go away! I get that you have unfinished business, but if you’re going to haunt someone, I’m not the one you should be haunting! If you want to haunt someone, go haunt Meredith instead! It’s her! She’s the one who killed you!”

With that, the ballroom fell into pin-drop silence.

The corners of Madeline’s lips curled as she tilted her head to stare innocently into Jeremy’s ice-cold eyes. “What is this man saying, Mr. Whitman? What haunting? What does he mean haunt Meredith instead?”

At that, Meredith felt the air around her turn void. She felt as if she had been thrown into an ice house.

Not daring to look at the expression on Jeremy’s face, she rushed up to Tanner instead. “What drunk nonsense are you saying, Tanner? There’s no ghost at all! Madeline’s not here anymore! Also, I’ve never done anything against my conscience! When have I ever hurt her? I saw Madeline as my own sister. Don’t frame me for things I didn’t do!”

Tanner found himself sobering slightly thanks to Meredith’s shouting, but the sight of Madeline’s intrigued smile seconds later had him once again petrified.

“Madeline’s right here! Can’t any of you see her? It can’t be that I’m the only one who sees her, right? I knew it. She has definitely come to haunt me!”