Chapter 105 Shameless!
Michael added in earnest agreement, “Yes, that’s right. Finding Maddie and being reunited with her is a joyous occasion indeed! We have to throw a banquet to celebrate it and have everyone else know that Maddie is the only princess of the Wendel Family!”
Everyone in the living room sounded their hearty approval, but Nicholas was the only one who grumbled under his breath, “Having a daughter of the Wendel Family spend most of her life away from us is nothing to be proud of. The rest of high society will see us as laughing stock for sure if word of this gets out.”
He had said it in a voice barely above a whisper, but Michael heard it nonetheless.
The words cut through him like a knife. Indeed, having his daughter grow up outside the Wendel Family was nothing to be proud of at all; it only went to show how incapable he was as a father who couldn’t even protect his own daughter.
That was how he interpreted Nicholas’ pointed remark, but in truth, he was wrong. Nicholas had meant to say that someone like Madeline, who had grown up outside the gentle breeding of the Wendel Family, was not worthy of the title of the young lady of the household. However, he couldn’t have said it that bluntly, so it hadn’t come off quite as harsh as he intended.
In the end, the statement was taken out of context by Michael, who only felt more guilty toward Madeline. He became more driven to treat her with the kindness she must have missed out on all these years. It was his fault that she had to survive outside the love and care of the family, and he vowed to make it up to her.
Michael couldn’t be bothered about confronting his nephew over this, so he ignored Nicholas and brushed it off, pretending not to have heard it at all. However, he treated Madeline even more affably now and with renewed enthusiasm.
Nicholas gaped at his uncle’s behavior and shrugged. Forget it, he thought. He was the youngest in the Wendel Family next to Angie at twenty-something years old, but everyone still treated him like a child.
His words hardly carried any weight, and no one in the family ever took him seriously. He couldn’t change the way they saw him, but he knew he could take charge of his own life and make his own judgment.
He reached an arm around Angie’s shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Don’t worry, Angie. You still have me, and I’ll keep you safe forever. No one will hurt you as long as I’m here!”
Angie nodded and turned to look at him with red-rimmed eyes. Then, she smiled and said, “That’s so sweet of you, Nicholas!”
Upon seeing the gleam in her eyes and her show of reliance toward him, Nicholas felt as if he was a valiant hero, and he flashed her a satisfied grin.
Meanwhile, after Robert said a few more things to Madeline and Sebastian, he rose and left the main house.
The other branches of the family followed suit, and when Nicholas’ family left, they brought Angie with them.
Erin and Nicholas stood on either side of Angie as they walked out of the house. In particular, Erin held Angie’s hand while they chattered idly like a pair of mother and daughter.
At the sight of this, Madeline smiled as amusement glittered in her eyes.
Soon, the only ones left in the villa were the main family, Sebastian, the two kids, and Madeline herself.
Now that the matter of Harriet and her past crime was resolved, Michael decided to call up the hospital to ask them about his wife and how she was coping so far. The hospital told him that she was awake and that he could visit her, though for only half an hour at a time. He was elated to hear this and immediately rushed over to see his wife. Similarly, the others were equally relieved as they followed him to the hospital.
Madeline told Sebastian to keep an eye on her kids while she went with the rest of the Wendels to the hospital.
Presently, Crystal was lying in the intensive care unit. She looked frail, but her condition had stabilized.
When she saw the nurse leading Michael into the room, excitement filled her as she peered behind him.
Since he knew the reason behind her anticipation, Michael quickly turned and said to Madeline, “Maddie! Your mom wants to see you!”
Madeline had been walking behind the brood, but Joseph shoved her forward after hearing what Michael had said. She hurried over to Crystal’s bedside and crouched down as she said, “You’re awake, Mom. How are you feeling? Are you well?”
“I’m perfectly fine…” Tears welled up in Crystal’s eyes as soon as she saw Madeline. She raised a hand with some strain and gently caressed Madeline’s face as she took in her features. There was so much love and pain in her gaze as she said weakly, “Maddie, my darling… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”
Madeline had been calm and unfazed until she saw the look in Crystal’s eyes and felt her heart wrench. Eyes were the windows to the soul, and Crystal looked at her the same way she would have looked at her sons with overwhelming love and compassion. It was as if Madeline was her precious jewel, and she wasn’t sure how to handle something as delicate and perfectly made as her.
She could feel tears pricking her own eyes as Crystal continued to stare at her.
She clasped Crystal’s hand and whispered, “Mom, you have to take care of yourself so that we can have more time together. If you collapse now, that future we want won’t be possible anymore, will it?”
“You’re right! You’re absolutely right, my darling,” Crystal said with a nod as tears streamed down her cheeks. “Just wait for me, Maddie. Wait for me to get better. We’ll go shopping, have meals together, and look at all the things on sale… I have so much to say to you… ”
When she started crying, the doctor frowned. He walked over to the bed as he said to Michael and the others, “Mrs. Wendel has only just pulled through a rather intense period, and it would be better that she remains stress-free for now. I’m afraid I’ll have to end the visiting session here. You may return tomorrow.”
These were the doctor’s orders, and no one dared go against them.
As such, Madeline stepped aside from the bed and let Michael have the room. He reached out to clasp his wife’s hand and muttered something to her in endearment before leaving reluctantly.
Upon their return to Wendel House, they found that Sebastian and the kids were nowhere in sight. Madeline immediately dialed Sebastian’s number, and when she heard the noise in the background, she asked, “Where have you taken Aldo and Buddy? It sounds like a lot is going on at your end.”
Sebastian’s strong and pleasant voice was clear and crisp despite all the noise behind him. “I brought them to the amusement park. Want to come over? I could get Quinton to bring you in from the main entrance…” He suddenly trailed off before adding, “Okay, you should come by; Buddy’s orders. He says he wants both his mom and dad to have fun with him.”
Madeline’s heart twisted when she heard this. While Quincy and Joel were considerate and never complained about not having a father figure in the past, she had seen the envious looks on their faces whenever they came across children who had both parents with them.
Now that they had a father figure in their lives, she couldn’t bring herself to rain on their parade.
“Okay,” she agreed readily. “Which amusement park is that? I’ll head over right now.”
Sebastian mentioned the name of the amusement park and continued, “I’ll send you the address and have Quinton wait for you at the entrance.”
“Alright.” She paused before adding softly, “Sebastian… Thank you.”
Her voice was soft and sweet, and when she said this, there was an almost ethereal edge to it that made Sebastian feel as if a feather had tickled his earlobes. He felt goosebumps rise along his skin as he chuckled and said, “You’re welcome. Isn’t this what I’m supposed to do as a father? Bringing my sons to amusement parks and such?”
Madeline froze at this. Those are my sons! This guy is just outright snatching my sons away from me, and he doesn’t seem sorry about it at all! She was the one who raised those two kids. All he ever did was provide the semen, but he was making it sound as if he had carried out parental duties alongside her as well. He’s shameless!
