Chapter: 270

It was a farewell, perhaps a wish to not meet again. Norah thought to herself, standing at the entrance of her villa, watching his car slowly disappear at the crossroads.

In the sprawling Derek's villa.

"Madeline, how many times do I have to tell you? Don't toss your clothes around like confetti. If you're not up for folding them, let those servants help take care of them. Just look at this chaos!"

Derek wrapped up his tasks, pushed open the bedroom door, and found a bed drowning in a sea of clothes.

Madeline, wearing a delicate white nightdress, lounged on the bed, idly kicking her feet up and scrolling through her phone.

At the sound of Derek's disapproving tone, she turned her head with a frown. “Derek, I got back late today and didn't have the energy to tidy up. The servants will handle them when they come tomorrow."

Setting her phone aside, Madeline turned around, revealing a generous amount of décolletage. "You know you dismissed all the household staff, right? They'll be here tomorrow. But for now, we're snug as bugs in a rug, so why worry about these clothes?"

Getting off the bed, she sauntered over to Derek, hooked her arms around his neck, and planted a kiss, her breath warm against his skin. "Derek, am I right?"

Derek wrapped his arms around her shoulders, returning the kiss.

He didn't say anything but thought of Norah. He never cared much for having servants. They always seemed to fuss around when he wasn't there. After marrying Norah, she took charge of everything at home.

Laundry, cleaning, cooking... She handled it all, leaving him with a well-kept home.

But since Madeline's return, the bedroom resembled a tornado aftermath, with clothes and cosmetics strewn everywhere. Only when the servants came could it be cleaned, but it never lasted a day before returning to its chaotic state.

Madeline let out a soft murmur, and Derek felt a surge of heat coursing through him. Like a wild animal, he tossed Madeline onto the bed, fingers fumbling with her nightdress.

Unexpectedly, he touched something and examined it closely. “This bag, if I recall correctly, set us back 600, 000?"

Temporarily suppressing his desire, he sat on the bed, turning the bag over and over, growing more certain with each passing moment.

Madeline simply removed her nightdress, lying beside Derek, her fingers deftly undoing his belt, her voice dripping with honey. "Hmm."

"You bought this? Whose money did you use?" Derek asked.

Madeline raised her head, gazing at Derek with teary eyes. “Whose money besides yours, Derek? I thought you'd know."

She lightly tapped Derek's chest with a clenched fist. "At the last auction, didn't you promise to make it up to me? I browsed for a while and settled on this bag. Doesn't it look fabulous?"

Derek's head spun a little. "Madeline, you know after the divorce, most of the Carter family's fortune went to Norah, right? The family's finances are tight now, and the company needs a significant injection of cash to stay afloat. Why splurge on this bag at such a time?"

Madeline's eyes welled up with tears. "I didn't think a bag would matter. The gifts you used to shower me with were worth millions. I picked out a bag worth 600, 000, thinking you wouldn't bat an eye, Derek."

She wiped away her tears. “If I had known you'd fuss over even this 600, 000, I wouldn't have mentioned anything making it up for me.

Though I adore this bag, for your sake, I'll return it. Derek, I can't bear to see you upset."

Tears trickled down her cheeks, tugging at Derek's heartstrings. He pulled Madeline close, enveloping her in a comforting embrace.