---- Chapter 17 Madeline still felt guilty. "Sorry for the trouble I caused you and for making you stay here all night. She'd always been afraid of causing trouble for others. Ellis said calmly, "It wasn't any trouble." Silence descended upon the room, making Madeline feel more awkward than ever. She and Ellis didn't know each other well-all she knew was that he'd once had feelings for her. She definitely hadn't expected him to be so persistent. She reached up to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. At the same time, her mind raced as she tried to think of something to ease the awkwardness. Fortunately, someone knocked on the door just then. She sighed in relief, feeling like her savior had arrived. She called out, "Come on in!" Unbeknownst to her, Ellis had noticed the shift in her expressions. So, did she still feel self- ---- conscious when she was around him? He couldn't help thinking that there seemed to be a wall between them. No matter how he tried to get close, she would stubbornly hide behind it. The ward door swung open. "Maddie, are you feeling better now?" Octavia bustled in with her hands full. She glanced at Ellis before hurrying to Madeline's bedside and putting down the breakfast she'd brought. Madeline nodded obediently. "I'm fine now, so don't worry. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused, though." She genuinely felt bad about that, especially toward Ellis. Octavia said breezily, "Come on, it's no trouble. We're all friends here! Timothy may not care about you, but we do." She shot Ellis a cheeky look and said pointedly, " I'm sure Ellis cares a lot." Her words made the atmosphere turn awkward ---- again. It was as if she'd detonated a bomb in the room. Madeline had yet to fully recover from her earlier embarrassment, so Octavia's comment put her on edge again. Her heart shuddered. Meanwhile, Ellis surreptitiously gave Octavia a warning look. He'd asked her to help, not to make things worse. Soon, however, he regained his composure and said, "I'll step out and leave you two to catch up." "Alright. Out you go!" Octavia chirped. Ellis left the hospital ward and turned to head to the elevators, wanting to go to the lobby. However, a voice stopped him just as he got there. "Ellis." He immediately recognized it, and his expression turned frosty. His gaze sharpened, too. He turned to see Timothy stop before him. The tension thickened as their gazes met in silent confrontation. Timothy knew Ellis was one of Madeline's admirers. For some reason, it made his blood boil.