Chapter 117: Chapter 117

SOME DAYS LATER

Madison placed the last washed dishes in the kitchen cabinet and quickly turned off the dishwasher.

Whistling away and dancing about, a small smile appeared on her lips as she quickly cleaned her wet hands with a spare dry towel in the large kitchen.

Her ears roamed about the lovely spacious room she was in, and her smile widened all the more as she began to think about the events of the past few days.

It’d been six days or almost a week since Damien had been discharged and just four days since she’d packed fully into this mansion, and she was falling in love with the place every minute.

Was it this kitchen she frequented, making unique, delicious dishes for Damien? Or was it the large garden she wandered to during the day to breathe some nice fresh air? That garden was like a safe haven for her, and the whole house was already growing in on her.

She loved the building, his mother and sister loved it, and sometimes Madison wondered if this was where they’d spend their lives now that he’d decided to move back to London.

He’d told her his plans, and Madison now had it at the back of her mind that Damien wanted to marry her and build a home.

He’d said all these just yesterday when she’d been with him, nestled in his arms as they stared at the open sky and stars from the balcony of his magnificent room.

They shared a room, and a bubble rose in Madison’s throat as she recounted how they seemed to be behaving just like a normal married couple, and the thought warmed her heart.

Damien had forced her to bring all her things to the mansion days after he’d left the hospital, and she couldn’t even refuse because of his sick state.

Moreover, her parents had instantly agreed, and she’d had no say likewise. Not that she wanted to object, but maybe she could have put up a fight or something.

“Oh, silly me, like I don’t even want to be here.” She scoffed out loud suddenly, and realizing that she’d spoken out, she blushed embarrassingly.

Prancing out of the kitchen and walking down the large winding hallway that led to Damien’s home office, Madison slowly wrapped her hands around herself.

The house was eerily quiet as she walked about, and Madison, for a second wondered where Layla had gone too, or even Mrs Daniel. Maybe they were by the garden, and since they were the least of her concern now, she decided to continue to her destination.

She wanted to check on Damien and see what he was up to. She did this every hour of the day… every minute rather.

She never wanted to stop seeing him or staring at his gorgeous face. She would never get tired of looking at him, and no matter how hard she tried to stop herself from even staring, it was so difficult.

Oh well… The stares and unbridled attraction were mutual because she’d caught him staring back at her. His eyes glazed over, his face also moody that sometimes Madison wished she could read what was going on in his head.

As she approached the home office, Madison steps sharply slowed down when she suddenly heard some voices coming out from the room.

She could hear the sounds through the thin walls, and for a second, she froze as she tried to decipher what was going on and who Damien was talking to.

That’s when she remembered. Mr Paul and Mr Rudiger, Damien’s lawyer and investigator, had visited him earlier.

She’d even served them snacks before leaving to take care of the kitchen.

How could she have even forgotten? They were here to talk about Katherine Scott, Damien’s ex-girlfriend and the woman that had almost killed Madison herself.

Just the thought of the evil woman had Madison shuddering, not in fear but something else. A feeling she couldn’t even put a name to.

She wanted to go in and know what they were talking about, but as she took a step forwards, she halted again.

Maybe she shouldn’t intrude. The last thing she needed right now was another reminder of what Katherine had done or any memory regarding her at all.

Maybe she should leave and let Damien sort out the issue with his men.

Besides, Katherine had already been arrested, and she and her accomplices were already in prison awaiting judgement.

That was a fair punishment if she wanted to note it, and even though it would barely pay for all the horrors Madison had gone through, at least it was something.

Her final judgement would not be lenient, too, this Damien had told her. He’d promised to make Katherine pay heavily for what she’d done, and Madison trusted that he would keep to his word.

With all these thoughts in mind, Madison turned around and began making her way through the hallway when suddenly she heard a yell coming from the room.

The yell was followed by some angry utterances and curse words, and sharply she made a U-turn.

Her feets walking in lightning, sped towards the door as the argument continued.

Heaving a slow sigh in anticipation of what was to come, Madison twisted the knob and startling the men in the room; without even greeting or saying a word to any of them, she stepped into the room.

As all eyes turned to look at her, even that of Alvarez, who was surprisingly in the room too, and Madison’s wandering gaze stopped at a disheveled-looking Damien before she then blurted out, “What the hell is going on here?”

…….

“…On the basis that she’s ill and….”

“Fuck that! Fuck her sickness! Fuck whatever it is she’s going through or the lie they are trying to freaking fabricate. There’s no way I’m signing off on this appeal or taking a look at that thing you brought with you.” Damien spat out angrily, his chest spasming and hurting slightly as he breathed heavily.

“But, sir, you should know this is not a lie. I know that Miss Katherine here did so many….” Mr Paul, his lawyer, began to speak, but Damien shot back before he could finish, “You know what? Mr Paul, you barely know a thing. You can ask Mr Rudiger here….” He paused, pointing at his investigator who stood close by, “Or you can ask Mr Alvarez. You barely have a clue about what that evil woman did. Do you know how badly she tortured Madison? The threat letters? The stalking, amongst other things? Not to even talk of that, but I could have been dead by now! I could have been laying in a coffin, breathless and gone, and what would happen then?”

“I’m so sorry, sir. It’s just that….”

“Fuck! It baffles me to this day, knowing I once associated with that bitch! And I swear on my life that she would pay for everything she put Madison and me through. I swear on my….”

The door to the small home office swung open, and the words he’d been about to utter died on his lips.

Coming face to face with Madison, he started to say something, but she cut him off.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“Madison… hey, how are you doing?” Alvarez said sharply as she asked the question, and he started to walk towards her.

“Alvarez, I’m okay. What’s going on here?” She asked, her eyes still staring back at Damien’s dark ones, and he let out a curse.

“Maddie, I don’t think you should be here now.”

“Wait, what? What do you mean?” She asked back defiantly, shrugging Alvarez’s hands off her shoulders, “I heard Damien cursing out loud and arguing, and you know how bad that is for his health. You can’t just tell me too….”

“Damien just has some outbursts with his lawyer, but he is okay. I’m here, remember, and there’s no way I’ll let him do more than he can. Just trust me.”

“Some outbursts with his lawyer, and he’s talking about that… that woman Katherine? Oh, cut the crap, Alvarez.” Madison spat out again, and this time she took some steps towards Damien, who was staring at her blankly.

“Aren’t you going to say anything? What’s going on here? You promised to include me in anything involving Katherine Scott, right? Besides, we’re the victims involved in her case. Guess I should be here, or would you object to that too?”

Damien sighed slowly, his hands raking through his already scattered hair, and he tugged roughly at his button-up shirt, not caring if the buttons flew away haphazardly.

With Madison glaring at him, he couldn’t even afford to send her out, except he wanted brimstone and fire to rain down on him.

“Maddie, you’re right. You need to be here, and I’m sorry I didn’t call you earlier….” He began after some time and glanced shortly at his lawyer before staring back at her, and he proceeded to tell her everything Mr Paul had just told him.

How Katherine was coping in prison. How her father seemed to be appealing for a more lenient punishment, as she seemed to be suffering from some disease or whatever he’d heard.

“Disease? What do you mean?” Madison cut in as he continued talking, but Damien shrugged and said, “I have no idea.”

“What is she suffering from, Mr Paul? Tell us.”

“Maddie…” Damien started, but she raised her hands and urged Mr Paul to speak up and clearing his throat, the lawyer began.

“Well, according to the file and what I saw, all I can say is that her condition is pretty much critical, and she is a mess.”

“Just cut to the chase, and tell us what’s wrong with her.” Damien asked sharply, already getting tired of everything, more especially the discussion about Katherine.

Damn! He hated her so much. He even despised hearing her name at all. He couldn’t believe he’d had anything to do with such a slimy bitch and…

“Erm… according to the file here….” Mr Paul started glancing at the papers in his hands, “She has Brain Cancer, bipolar disorders and some other mental disorder that wasn’t disclosed here. It is to note that she’d associated with hard drugs and overdosed on a certain medication that is not stated here too. All these were before the attacks on you and Miss Madison, and right now, her lawyer and father are claiming that she was not in the right senses when she committed all those crimes.”

“What!” Damien and Madison both said in unison, their eyes straying until they met each other, and at the same time, their jaw dropped open.

“Oh my goodness….” Madison muttered again, saying some incorrigible words as Mr Paul continued on and on with the diagnosis, and at the same time, much to Damien’s detest, he read out the appeal.

“This is so bad, Damien. This makes the case look much worse, and do you think she’ll get the… Oh, God!” Madison trailed off, and seeing her whole body shaking heavily, Damien quickly rushed to her side, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight against himself.

He ignored the pain from the cuts on his chest still, and he said softly as he gently rubbed her back, “Hey Maddie, it’s going to be alright… I’m here.”

As he said those words, she leaned further into him, pressing her lips against his neck and breathing deeply.

“It’s not fair, Damien. It’s not fair… I don’t know what to say, but she won’t get punished and….” She broke off, sobbing still and pulling back; he looked down at her sternly.

His expression changing at what he saw, he placed his hand tenderly upon her cheek and replied after a second, “For one, we don’t know if the diagnosis is real, but yes, her seeking for a lenient punishment is not fair at all. I know that it’s unfair, but I want you also to know that we are going to get through this. I promise. We’ll figure this out together. Okay?”

He watched as Madison nodded, sniffling slightly, while she stared at him, tears welling up in her eyes.

Seeing that she was still upset, he leaned close and kissed softly on the lips, whispering, “Shhh. Don’t cry, Maddie. Please… stop crying.”

“Okay, I will.” She said, her hands wiping at her face as she stopped the tears from flowing.

“Are you sure you’re okay now?” Damien asked, and she nodded slightly, a forced smile on her face, but it was okay, at least for now.

Squeezing her arms, he turned to face Mr Paul and said curtly, “Tell us our options. What else is there to do? Go on, and be fast about it, please….”