Faux Vows, True Desires

The two seemed to be in a heated debate.

Nathan glanced at Madeleine, who was lounging on the couch, his gaze icy and intense.

He left the room, the door left ajar and descended the stairs.

"Hayden, my mind is made up. It's late and you should head home."

Keith's face was hardened, his expression as cold as ice.

Upon entering the room, he didn't even sit down, and he headed directly for the stairs. He had only taken a few steps when he saw his father descending from upstairs, his face flushed, possibly from too much whiskey.

"Big bro."

Upon seeing his older brother, Hayden bypassed Keith, accelerating up the stairs. "Big bro," he started, "Pete made a small mistake, and now Keith's shipping him off to a branch office." Keith responded icily, "Pete's mistake wasn't small. He cost the company a billion-dollar deal."

Hayden ignored Keith, who never missed an opportunity to put his son down. Pete was exceptionally talented, holding a vice president position when he first entered the company. However, after the incident with Keith's wife and sister-in-law, he was severely disciplined by Nathan.

Ever since then, Pete had been the target of Nathan and Keith's retaliation. He held the title of vice president but was reduced to doing an assistant's work under Keith's thumb and at his mercy. Hayden was seething with resentment.

"Big bro, Pete has been working like a mule for the company, even harder than Keith. He just made a judgement error this time, and it cost the company a billion-dollar deal. We, the Blue family, can afford to lose that deal. Keith has already blown up at Pete in the office, threatening to dock his bonus for a year. Wasn't that enough?"

Even though Pete was being sent to a branch office as a manager, the competition within the Blue Corporation was fierce. If Pete were kicked out of the headquarters, it wouldn't be easy for him to return. Nathan tried to suppress his discomfort, speaking in a low voice. "Let's deal with company matters tomorrow at the office. Hayden, I'm not feeling well, and Madeleine is sleeping in my room. Could you please send her back to the Porter family?"

Madeleine often stays overnight. Why not let her stay since she's already asleep? Why bother sending her back to the

silence, he said, "If you're not feeling well, we could call a doctor. Or we could

own face. It was burning. He continued, "I think I caught a cold yesterday. I took some medicine, thinking it would help, but it seemed I have a high fever now.

Louis was the Blue family's personal

neither Nathan nor Keith trusted

fell ill, they would go to their family's private hospital. The director of the

"Okay."

concerned for his father's well-being. Despite his exhaustion from work, he immediately assisted his father down

behind, they departed. Before leaving, Nathan reminded his brother to send Madeleine back to the

left, Hayden muttered to himself, "She's stayed here countless times before. She wouldn't be clinging onto Nathan so

was curious as to why Nathan insisted on sending

with Nathan yet, a fact that surprised Hayden. He had assumed that they had been intimate

night, which was why he had insisted on

skeptical that Madeleine was merely

be by his side, caring

the door, a wave of perfume hit him. He took a deep breath, unable to identify

why women were so fond of perfume. His wife was the same, always delighted when he bought her a new bottle. The women he kept on the

Madeleine was no exception.

the window, Hayden returned to the couch, looking

flushed, he frowned, "Are you running a

and touched Madeleine's forehead. It was