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.

known him for a few days, but our relationship was

Conrad as an older brother and didn't want to say anything

grip on

a mixture of disbelief, disappointment, and deep

his gaze, then moved slightly. "Conrad, some connections are meant to be formed. Maybe Brandon

I felt

completely, I could tell it wasn't as tight as

were in this tense standoff, Xander appeared out of nowhere and smiled brightly. "Ms. Crown, you

"Come to the office. I'll have someone make

he politely declined, "No need, thank you." Conrad left without looking back

my way, I decided to ask Xander for some time off to prepare the gift and visit

done... Yeah, he's gone... Haha,

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