Margaux inhaled sharply to steady her emotions, understanding the conflicted feelings her sister was experiencing. That fear and pain were familiar, born from their childhood spent wishing for more support, despite having a father.
Margaux settled back on the couch and pulled Madelyn into another comforting embrace. "Don't be afraid, Sis. We can get through this together," she reassured her, rubbing Madelyn's back.
A relieved smile broke across Madelyn's lips. "Thanks, Margaux," she whispered in sincerity.
As Madelyn lingered in her sister's arms, comforted by her unwavering support, she felt, for the first time in weeks, that everything might just be okay. If it weren't for Margaux, her world might have crumbled without biological siblings by her side.
"You're always welcome, sis. I will always be here to support and protect you," Margaux reassured her once again.
Suddenly, Madelyn's stomach growled, prompting both sisters to burst into laughter.
"You foodie! What should I get for you? The baby might be hungry too," Margaux asked.
"I'll be okay with anything," Madelyn replied.
"Let me make your favourite meal, then." Margaux stood up from the couch and headed to the open kitchen behind them.
While Madelyn felt at ease, she lay gently on the couch, staring at the ceiling. She logged into her bank account to check how much she had left to sustain herself once she left the country.
She realised there wasn't much in her savings and understood that she needed to work hard to earn enough.
As she contemplated what job to take next, a sudden call interrupted her. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was from her father's assistant and swiped to answer the call.
"Vincent," Madelyn said, speaking into the phone.
"Young Miss!" Vincent's voice sounded panicked.
"I'm listening," Madelyn replied.
"Where are you? The young master has had a fatal accident and needs critical medical attention, but the doctor won't proceed without someone signing the consent form. Mr. Tristan hasn't returned yet, and your stepmother refused to sign it," he explained hurriedly.
Madelyn jolted upright from the couch, her chest heaving. Confusion flickered in her eyes. "What happened to my brother, Gabriel? How did he get into an accident?"
"Gabriel went to Rafael's bar to confront him when he found out that Erica was pregnant with his child and about the 10% shares he claimed from your father. They had a heated argument that escalated into a fight," Vincent explained.
A heavy gasp escaped Madelyn's lips, and her heart skipped a beat. "No, you must have made a mistake. Rafael wouldn't go that far to betray us," she said, her voice trembling with emotion. "I think there's been some misinformation."
"No, Miss. It has been a week since Rafael claimed his percentage in the business partnership. That's not important now; you should come sign the consent form and deposit the surgery money," Vincent insisted.
Madelyn clenched her fists, pain cutting through her chest. "Okay. Okay. Can I know how much the surgery costs? And what's the hospital's location? I need to be there."
"I will send you the details. Please hurry to the hospital," he said before hanging up.
"No, it can't be happening," Madelyn muttered, pacing back and forth as she anxiously bit her fingernails.
She couldn't imagine how their argument ended, knowing her older brother's quick temper. They rarely let him drive when he was angry because he had almost gotten into an accident before.
Margaux was about to turn on the stove but stopped when she heard the anxious tone in her sister's voice. She rushed back into the living room.
"What's wrong?" she asked, noticing the beads of sweat forming on Madelyn's face.
Madelyn leaned closer to Margaux, her expression filled with fear. "Margaux...brother... Gabriel had a fatal accident. He needs us," she stuttered, the words heavy in her throat.
Margaux's jaw dropped, her heart racing. "How could it be? Let's go to him!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling.
Just then, a message from the butler beeped on Madelyn's phone. It was the hospital address and the cost of the surgery which cost ten thousand dollars.
"That's a huge sum of money!" Margaux exclaimed, staring at the figure in Madelyn's phone. "How can we get that? You know I'm penniless recently,"
"I have eight thousand in my savings. We'll deposit that first and get the remaining later. I will find a way," Madelyn answered. Her fingers tightened around the phone as furious emotions were surging inside of her.
She couldn't contain her curiosity about why Rafael had to betray them this way.
Madelyn faced her sister, "You go to the hospital first and do the transfer while I meet Rafael," she suggested, placing her phone into Margaux's hands.
Margaux frowned at her. "I won't let you go back! You told me he's adamant about divorcing you. What if he traps you in the mansion?!"
"He wouldn't. I want to know why he did that." Madelyn's voice trembled. "Please go to Brother Gabriel first. We can't let his condition worsen,"
Margaux let out a complicated sigh as she didn't feel good about letting Madelyn confront Rafael. She couldn't delay their brother's treatment either.
Margaux reached for her phone on the couch and then placed it into Madelyn's hand. "Have my phone and use it to call me if things didn't go well,"
Madelyn nodded in agreement.
Without hesitation, Margaux dashed out of the house.
***
It took a long drive for Madelyn to return to the quiet mansion as she stormed into the living room, darting her eyes around in search of Rafael.
"Rafael!" Madelyn called out for him. Her voice tinged with pain and unexplained question.
"Where are you, Rafael!" She called out once more, advancing further.
Just then, her gaze landed towards the dining table compartment where she spotted him—eating in solitude at a table laden with meal and drink.
With each determined step, she felt the pain tighten her grip on her inner turmoil as if she might physically contain the raging storm inside her.
Drawing near, she halted directly in front of him. "Why did you do that? Why steal that asset and hurt my brother?" she demanded, her voice trembling with both anguish and anger.
Her words carried the weight of hope that he hadn't acted out of mere greed or some other selfish desire.