"Let me show you around," Jane said as she approached Zach. She pointed to a painting. "This one's Vitality by Prof. Monet. It captures what we saw deep in a tropical rainforest. Despite its calm appearance, that place was anything but peaceful."Everyone waited, eyes fixed on Jane, anticipating a tale of a magical adventure."We ran into bullet ants. They're among the world's ten most venomous insects. You might mistake them for bees from afar, but they sport powerful mandibles and a venomous sting." Jane delved deeper into their time in the rainforest, touching on narrow escapes and thrilling experiences.Hearing this, Kevin realized, 'That explains Madelyn's absence. She's been adventuring with Prof. Monet's team.'Jane recounted the adventures they had had. From her stories, Zach pieced together Madelyn's activities during her four-year absence. It amazed him that Madelyn, once not even trusted with a knife, had tackled such risks and returned unharmed. Although a skeptical smi

As dusk settled, outside was pitch-black. Kevin took three calls during his absence. When he returned, he hesitated before saying, "Mr. Jardin, the banquet started half an hour ago. We should head over."Flipping to the last page of Madelyn's journal, Zach realized the time when he looked up and thought, 'Four years' worth in this notebook.' Standing up, he tore out a page, then held it by the tip. "Mail this to the Arnold family in Ventropolis."Kevin nodded, "Understood."On the cruise ship, a grand banquet was underway. The dance floor shimmered with people in glamorous dresses. Among the guests were famous celebrities and top models. Everyone mingled, their laughter mixing with the clink of glasses and the distant sound of ocean waves.In the kitchen, Madelyn demonstrated her exceptional skills, particularly with desserts. At the beginning of her job, she could not speak any French. But her culinary talent earned her the position. It was a lifeline; she could have been left str

"I need to head back."As Lila grabbed her arm, she said, "Hugue got a tip from a guest. This part's for you."Madelyn was not listening to anything else being said; her only thought was 'escape.' She nodded, "Thanks. And please let him know I'm grateful."Lila frowned, "We've got a problem. A heavy storm hit, causing the ship to lose control. It won't be repaired until tomorrow, so everyone's staying on board tonight."Madelyn's eyes widened, "Seriously?"Lila nodded seriously, "That's why the banquet ended early. Everyone, guests and crew alike, have to bunk here."Madelyn struggled to grasp her emotions, baffled as to why Zach would be on this ship. Together with Lila, she made her way to the crew area. The two were assigned a small, tight crew cabin. Looking out, she saw waves crashing against the ship, punctuated by deafening thunder and bright lightning flashes. Their beds? Nothing more than hard wooden planks in a room that felt damp. While the day's exhaustion took its to

"I'll take you there in half an hour.""I don't need you to."Zach let her go, leaving Madelyn somewhat surprised. 'Why'd he let me go so easily? Is he actually being reasonable for once?'Madelyn immediately lifted the sheets and got out of bed. She looked at her legs and found out that her smooth and fair legs were now covered in marks left by the man. She could not help but grit her teeth and curse inwardly. 'What an animal!'As soon as her feet touched the ground, Madelyn felt weak and collapsed onto the floor. Then, she heard the man on the bed letting out a satisfied and light laugh.The room's lights were turned on. Zach was wearing a robe that was hung loosely open. revealing his well-toned and tanned chest. He sat leisurely on the bed and lit up a cigarette before taking a drag and exhaling a puff of smoke as he looked at her lazily. "Do you need any help, my darling?"Madelyn ignored him. She placed her hand on the bed and stood up from the ground while enduring the pai

Then, Madelyn went to a shopping mall on the iconic street of Boulevard Haussmann of France. She had previously worked there as a saleswoman, although only for a few days.The hotel got them a car, and a driver took Madelyn and the bodyguards there.Inside the mall, Madelyn pretended to take a few pieces of clothes. The bodyguards took photos of her, and she figured that they were probably reporting her whereabouts to Zach.After that, Madelyn went into a lingerie store and made several purchases.While sitting in the car, Zach felt his phone vibrating. He took it out and saw a notification of a deduction from his account balance. Then, he casually turned off the screen and put it back into his pocket. Madelyn had just spent several hundred thousand dollars in one go with his card, yet he did not seem to care at all.Kevin reported to him, "Ms. Samford will arrive at the airport around nine-thirty at night.""Hm," Zach responded nonchalantly."Are we still going to bring Ms. Sam