Chapter 749

“What about you, sir?” Madelyn asked.

The middle-aged man replied, “I’ve got heart problems. There’s a surgery coming up, and honestly, I’m not sure about the outcome.”

Madelyn hesitated, then whispered, “You’ll be fine.” She wondered if she was saying it for his comfort or her own.

The man looked up from the newspaper, folding it and placing it on his lap as he crossed his legs. His amber eyes met hers, and a warm smile spread across his face. “Thanks for the kind words. I gotta head out.” He cast a wary glance at a group of tough-looking people coming their way. “Mind if we hug real quick?”

Madelyn hesitated.

“It’s strange, I know,” he said, “but you remind me of my wife who passed away. I miss her. Let’s call it a bit of solace before my operation.”

He spoke so gently that Madelyn nodded. “Okay.” They hugged briefly, and he dashed off, forgetting his newspaper. As Madelyn reached for it, a shadow loomed above her.

“Enjoying the breeze?” Zach asked, slipping his black blazer onto her shoulders. “You should get warm.

Your discharge is settled.”

With his arm around Madelyn, Zach guided her away. Glancing back, he noticed the man was gone, yet the newspaper was now with Madelyn.

Inside the car, Zach looked over the medicine bottles from the hospital. They were supplements and tonics, but Madelyn knew Kai had specially made them stronger than usual.

“I got a nutritionist for you. Stick to the meals they plan; I don’t want you getting sick.”

‘Zach is worried? He would never say something like that, given his personality,’ Madelyn thought, surprised. “Okay,” she replied.

“Who hugged you earlier?” His voice grew icy.

She glanced outside. “I don’t know him.”

“If I see you getting close to a man, you’ll have to answer to me,” he said firmly, giving her cheek a light pinch.

“I get it.”

“It had been almost two weeks/since Zach and Madelyn last shared an intimate moment. Now, as he picked her up from the hospital, it was clear he missed her. As he leaned in, Madelyn turned away.”

“I’m just not in the mood,” she said.

Zach forcefully turned her face toward him and planted a kiss on her lips, saying in a restrained voice, “I won’t touch you tonight. But we’re not sleeping in separate rooms.”

Madelyn exclaimed, “Have you lost it? My father already disapproves of us. If he learns I’m staying with you, he’ll explode.”

Zach just smirked, seemingly unfazed. But when they arrived home, Madelyn understood his confidence: Hayson was in the master bedroom, and Yvonne was also there. The sight of Yvonne was jarring for Madelyn.