Chapter: 1110

Relief washed over Norah as he confirmed their safe return to their homeland and Eloisa's continued recovery.

Memories flickered - Eloisa's post-surgery rest in the hospital before their departure. The surgery had been a success, and Eloisa's memory remained intact.

Norah resisted the urge to reply. Her reputation as a sought-after and aloof doctor demanded careful communication.

After all, every patient she'd treated in Silverdale had recovered — and a hefty sum had found its way into her bank account afterward.

Those funds became her personal stock market playground. Meticulously analyzed stocks formed a significant portion of her wealth.

Abroad, she'd amassed a fortune through a combination of organizational commissions and her savvy investments.

Taking stock, Norah realized her assets now equaled a third of the Wilson family's fortune. This, of course, excluded her hidden stash - remnants from the Carter family, a defiant act against them in the past.

But that was a closed chapter; Norah wouldn't dwell on it.

At the Cloud Club, amidst the hazy, colorful lights, Coen revealed a different side of himself. Two women joined him for drinks, their physical charms the focus of his attention.

"Did you get in touch with Madeline during your trip? My wife says Madeline's been distraught at home. Don't you care?"

Derek scoffed, the drink swirling in his glass. “Every call is a financial plea - hundreds of thousands of dollars, without a thought for my situation. Am I just an ATM to her?"

The escorts' eyes gleamed. A few thousand was a far cry from Madeline's demands.

Coen nodded, hands still wandering.

"Madeline's spoiled by both me and her mother. You have to be patient."

Derek recalled Coen's words when he first met Madeline's parents — words urging him to treat their daughter well.

Yet, it was Coen who'd brought him to the club and ordered escorts.

Derek wondered who he truly loved. Madeline or Norah?

Both women had been pivotal figures in his life. Now, with Norah gone, a yearning for her return gnawed at him.

“But your ex, Norah, she was a strong and capable one. I thought you wouldn't divorce her."

Before he finished his words, Coen initiated intimate encounters with an escort in the dim light, obscuring his speaking with heavy breathing.

Derek, too, started making out with another escort.

In the dim light, he fantasized about the woman beneath him being Norah. What if, on their first anniversary, he hadn't pushed her away?

He imagined a passionate encounter.

Following Derek's departure to Silverdale, Madeline faced significant challenges.