Love's Redemption (Chris and Maddie)

My body tensed. I instinctively wanted to avoid his touch, but Conrad held on tightly and gave me no chance to escape.

This feeling of being controlled by someone else was unpleasant, and I didn't like it. I frowned, "Conrad..."

Before I could finish, Conrad interrupted me. "Maddie, Chris is my brother, so I can't speak ill of him, but he's an exception. You can't give up your principles because of him."

His grip was tight. I could feel his tension. He was trembling. His gaze was intense, and his tone was heavy. There was even a pleading edge to it. "Maddie, finding a boyfriend is not a game. You have to be careful. One wrong move can ruin your life."

Seeing his earnestness, I felt a bit guilty. I almost wanted to tell him that Brandon was just a temporary boyfriend.

But that thought quickly vanished. Bringing Brandon was meant to end any lingering hopes the Gildon family might have. If I told him the truth, what was the point of this charade?

"Conrad, I'm not a child. I know what I'm doing," I retorted.

"But you've only known Brandon for a few days!" Conrad's voice grew louder. He was clearly upset.

I decided to drop a bombshell. "I've only known him for a

considering I regarded Conrad as an older brother and didn't want to say

at me with shock. His grip on my shoulder

stared at me with a mixture of disbelief, disappointment, and deep pain in

recognized the depth of his gaze, then moved slightly. "Conrad, some connections are meant

I spoke, I felt Conrad's body

shoulders didn't loosen completely, I could tell it

Xander appeared out of nowhere and smiled brightly. "Ms. Crown, you have a guest. Why not go to your

I'll have someone make a pot

me as he politely declined, "No need, thank you." Conrad left

time to recover and return to my office. On my way, I decided to ask

was about to knock on Xander's office door, I heard his voice. "It's done... Yeah, he's gone... Haha, that guy

he saw me standing at the door. He seemed startled and nearly