Chapter 41: Beautiful Memories
“All night, I’ll go take a look,” Madelyn nodded, immediately stepping forward to investigate. Intrigued, Sebastian followed along.
Malcolm promptly activated the recently restored surveillance system, tapping the space bar, and the footage began to play. Following that, Madelyn witnessed the entire sequence of events that had transpired that day.
Not long after Ruth left the office, a figure stealthily slipped into the office. Despite the low-definition quality of the university’s CCTV footage, Madelyn still managed to recognize the figure she saw. This sneaky individual was none other than Felicity.
Afterward, the camera switched to the inside view, where Felicity was seen searching through Ruth’s desk. Soon, she found the thesis that was on the desk. Next, she pulled out a manuscript from her pocket that she had prepared earlier and swapped it with the thesis on the desk. Then, Felicity stealthily made her way out again.
After leaving the office, Felicity probably felt uneasy. She hesitated in the hallway for a moment, then suddenly, she tore Madelyn’s thesis into shreds. Perhaps wanting to erase all evidence, Felicity tossed the shredded papers into the trash. Patting her chest in relief, she then confidently strode away.
Darn it! After witnessing the entire process of her thesis being tampered with, Madelyn grimaced. She had known all along it must have been either Felicity or Janessa who had done it. However, seeing the thesis she had painstakingly written so casually torn apart, Madelyn couldn’t help but seethe with anger. Felicity, playing the victim while being the culprit, had crossed the line!
Sebastian, standing by the side, distinctly felt the transformation in Madelyn. His lips parted slightly. He was about to ask something. Yet, when the words reached the tip of his tongue, he swallowed them back down. Madelyn wasn’t quite herself at the moment. Even if he tried to ask, he probably wouldn’t get much out of it.
Madelyn silently watched the entire video and didn’t say a word, only instructing Malcolm to organize her things and return them to her. Malcolm had it sorted out quickly and then handed it back to her just as it was. Madelyn took it and didn’t forget to express her gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Schultz.” After saying that, she handed over the freshly packed food from the restaurant to Malcolm.
“Consider this my token of appreciation for all the hard work you’ve put into recovering my files. It’s still warm. You should eat it quickly.”
Malcolm was taken aback. He hadn’t expected her to be so polite and was momentarily flattered. “Thank you, Mrs. Lockhart.”
Madelyn chuckled nonchalantly, then turned around, her face filled with a tender gaze as she looked at Sebastian. “You’ve been staying out for quite some days now. Don’t you plan on coming home for a night?”
Without a second thought, Sebastian flatly refused, “It’s all right. I can just stay at the company.”
Madelyn was not pleased. With a hint of reluctance, she asked again, “Are you sure you’re not going back?” Sebastian remained silent. Madelyn was instantly vexed. Sebastian isn’t playing by the rules!
In the end, Madelyn said, “Fine, if you’re not going back, then I’m staying here too!”
After Madelyn finished speaking, she plopped down onto the adjacent velvet-colored couch, her face displaying a stubborn expression. She was determined to stay put, just as Sebastian refused to leave.
“Madelyn,” Sebastian frowned in frustration. “Stop this nonsense and go home.”
Madelyn refused to listen. She looked at him with a playful smile. “No can do. A real lady never goes back on her words. I told you, if you don’t leave, I won’t either. It’s up to you now.”
She behaved like a willful child. Sebastian sighed inwardly, truly at a loss for what to do with her.
In the end, he said in a low voice, “Wait here. I’ll go get the keys and coat. I’ll be back shortly.” When he was leaving, he glanced at the computer and gave Malcolm a meaningful look. It took Malcolm a moment to comprehend. After a short pause, he quickly responded with a nod. Mr. Lockhart probably wants me to look into the footage Mrs. Lockhart was watching earlier.
After a while, Sebastian came out with his coat and then brought Madelyn home. Throughout the journey, Sebastian maintained an aloof expression, seemingly having nothing to say.
Madelyn’s mind was in a flurry. I finally get to be alone with Sebastian! How can I possibly let this chance slip away? And so, an idea sparked in her mind, and she began to pester Sebastian.
“Sebastian, look at the wonderful weather tonight. How about we go for a drive together? You know, the night view from Mount Stellar is absolutely stunning.”
Sebastian gave her a fleeting glance, an expression of disinterest etched on his face. “No.”
However, Madelyn was stubborn. Clinging tightly onto his arm, she cooed, “Sebastian, I really want to see the night view for once. Please go with me, even if it’s just this once.”
Sebastian found himself unable to resist her charm whenever she acted coyly. Left with no other choice, he altered his course and headed toward Mount Stellar.
As Madelyn watched the night scene receding along the road, her gaze unknowingly became much more distant. Sebastian had once taken her to Mount Stellar in her past life. Back then, Sebastian was incredibly fond of her. He cherished her and went to great lengths to make her happy. Regrettably, Madelyn was oblivious to the kindness shown to her, deeply hurting Sebastian’s heart.
Suddenly, Madelyn was overwhelmed with guilt, and her eyes involuntarily filled with tears. In her heart, she firmly resolved that since she had hurt Sebastian on Mount Stellar in her past life, she would create beautiful memories this time. She clung tightly to Sebastian’s arm, willing the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes to recede.
Chapter 41: Beautiful Memories
Sebastian sensed something was off about her, but he chose not to say anything. The car smoothly made its way to Mount Stellar. After reaching halfway up the mountain, the two of them got out of the car.
“Wow!” Madelyn, like a child, gasped in awe as soon as she stepped out of the car. The moonlight poured down. It was all just too beautiful.
The surroundings bloomed with an array of vibrant flowers, their beauty unmatched. Swarms of fireflies danced through the night, their glow flickering like distant stars. It was like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
“Sebastian, come quick. It’s truly beautiful!” Madelyn took in the view with excitement. She rushed back, pulling Sebastian along to witness it all. At that moment, from her vantage point, she had a perfect view of the city’s nightscape.
It was a spectacle to behold. Thousands of lights from countless homes wove together to form a mesmerizing, dreamlike web. Its beauty was so intoxicating that it left her utterly enthralled and endlessly in awe. Tilting her head back, she could clearly see the vast expanse of stars above her. There wasn’t a trace of cloud to obscure the view. The stars twinkled against the dark night, radiating their light. Further off in the distance, she could actually catch a glimpse of the Milky Way.
In summary, everything was breathtakingly beautiful. In her past life, Madelyn had indeed witnessed such breathtaking beauty, but she had never truly taken notice. In this lifetime, everything remained the same, but she was no longer the Madelyn she used to be.