---- Chapter 3 Ashort while later, the bathroom opened with a soft click. Timothy walked out, still drying his hair with a towel. He found it weird when he realized that Madeline was still sitting in the living room. Just as he started walking toward her, Madeline caught sight of him and immediately shifted her gaze away. She quickly got up and went into the bedroom first. However, as soon as she got into bed, a firm, strong hand grabbed her by the waist as Timothy's chest rested against her back. He held her in his arms and asked in a low voice, " Has work been exhausting for you? You don't look too happy today." "A little," Madeline answered perfunctorily. She drew her arm out from his hug and tried to shake him off, but Timothy only hugged her even tighter than before. His lips traveled dangerously close to her earlobes as he whispered, "Don't worry. I know of a way to cheer you up." ---- Then, Timothy's hands started wandering down Madeline's body. She immediately froze, her eyelashes shaking under the light. A flash of mockery appeared in her eyes. She really wanted to ask him how he still managed to act so close and intimate with her, knowing that he'd just been flirting openly with another woman on national TV, with such a straight face. Still, the words never came out. Timothy's phone pinged with a notification just then, and it sounded very different from his other notification pings, as if it was specifically set for this contact only. He stopped touching Madeline at once and got up to read his message. A while later, he grabbed his clothes and went back into the bathroom. Madeline thought of the launch earlier that night and felt her arms shaking even though they were pressed together. She then got up slightly and reached for Timothy's phone, which was still pinging nonstop with notifications. ---- She unlocked the phone with ease and familiarity. The person sending Timothy text messages hadn't been saved under a name, just a pink heart emoji. Still, Madeline could tell straight away that it was Lacey. "Timothy, I really liked that dress you designed for me. Thank you so much for still remembering all of my preferences even after so many years. "I'm home now. Drive safely back!" Madeline read the messages, noting how close they sounded. She then scrolled upward in the chat window and saw that those messages were received at 9:00 pm. Then, the next few messages were the ones that just came in a few minutes ago. "Timothy, my stomach kinda hurts, but I'm the only one at home. I don't know what I should do," Lacey had texted. Timothy had instantly replied, "Hold on. I'll be there in a second." Madeline's lashes shook again. She bit her lips and