Chapter 46: Chapter 46

Dylan was aware mornings and nights must have been lonesome for Madison in his apartment. The longing to hold her hand, kiss her lips, and cuddle with her throughout the day left a sting in Dylan's chest every time. But he could only go home in Madison's arms like a fugitive when Hades' men were not around. Dylan and Suzette could talk freely now that Hades had finally removed the audio recording device to spy on them. Unfortunately, Hades' eyes trailed behind Dylan and Suzette all day long as if ensuring neither the groom nor the bride would run away.

Although a private investigator was helping him, Dylan could not breathe in relief. The wedding was expected in a few days. He and Suzette expected the remaining days, including today, would be much more suffocating. Last night, Dylan promised Madison to eat dinner with her tonight. It was unlikely for Dylan to forget dates with her. But Madison was still alone in the apartment while Dylan was at Suzette's place.

Dylan peeked through the window of Suzette's apartment. When he saw Hades' men still keeping an eye outside, he sighed and sunk onto the couch, knowing he would miss the dinner with Madison.

"I'm sorry you're stuck in this shit," Suzette apologized.

"Don't worry about it. I'll explain to Madison later if I get the chance. I'm sure she'll understand," Dylan replied with a reassuring smile. When Suzette smiled back, he fixed his sitting posture and asked, "By the way, could you tell me where the toilet is, please?"

"Turn left when you go upstairs. It's near the guest room," Suzette instructed. Dylan left the living room and followed her directions.

When he returned to the living room, Suzette handed him his phone. "Someone called," she said, "But she didn't say who she was."

Dylan immediately took his phone and looked at the call log. Sure enough, he saw Madison's name. He could not help but sink back onto the couch, thinking of Madison's reaction upon hearing a woman pick up the phone.

"What did she say?" Dylan asked, hesitating whether he wanted to hear.

Suzette shook her head. "Nothing. When I said you were in the toilet, she told me she'd call again later and ended the call," she explained with a shrug and sat up straight. "Who's she?" she asked.

Dylan took a deep breath before briefly responding, "Madison."

Suzette's eyes widened. "What? Gosh! Don't tell me..."

Dylan cut in, nodding his head. "Yeah, she's the woman I love," he confirmed. The worry on his face quickly vanished when Madison's sweet, relieving smile flashed in his head.

"She must be lucky to have you, Dylan," Suzette remarked with a genuine smile.

Shaking his head, Dylan disagreed. "I'm the one who's lucky to have her. She'll tell you the same if you meet her. I guarantee you that," he uttered and stood up again to peek through the window.

Hades' men were still outside the apartment. "Damn it," Dylan gasped out while eyeing his nuisance. The familiar frustration reminded him of a question that lingered in his head since the night he learned about the arranged marriage. "Suzette," he called as he turned around to look at Hades' daughter.

"Hmm?" Suzette asked and stopped browsing her phone.

"I've been contemplating something for a while. I want to ask you about it if you don't mind," Dylan began.

Suzette nodded. "Ask away, Dylan," she said, waiting for him to continue.

"I want to know why your stepdad is doing this. Why did Mr. Welch suddenly drag my dad into legally agreeing with the marriage? Your company isn't going to bankruptcy, is it?" Dylan finally asked.

Suzette immediately shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Dylan. Our company is doing pretty well. Why have you been worrying about it?" she asked, looking at Dylan intently.

"I'm not worried about it, Suzette," Dylan clarified. "I'm just curious about it. Mr. Welch moved the wedding twice in advance. I'm curious why he seems in a hurry about it. I thought I have the right to know at the very least," he added.

A trace of grievance and apology was evident in Suzette's eyes, making Dylan deduce Suzette must be blaming herself. As if she had long expected the confrontation, Suzette inhaled a heavy breath and plucked up the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess, Dylan. It's all my fault," Suzette admitted. A memory replayed in her head, making her fidget on the couch. She stood up and walked towards the window, avoiding Dylan's eyes. She continued, "I told Dad I was engaged to my boyfriend. Ed and I were supposed to get married next year. I told Dad who his son-in-law was when he asked. Dad was happy for us until I found out he checked my fiancé's background. Dad did everything he could to tear us apart."

The pain in Suzette's eyes as she recounted what Hades did made it clear she could not forgive her stepdad for meddling in her affairs. Dylan could not help but feel sorry for what he heard.

Dylan was about to ask why Hades separated Suzette from her fiancé when she said, "I don't know why Dad doesn't want me to marry Ed. Maybe because he's poor; he works as a waiter. Dad even bribed Ed to keep me away from him. Ed loved me enough not to accept it. But Dad still succeeded in separating me from my fiancé because of the arranged marriage."

Now that Dylan understood the reason behind Hades' idea, Dylan felt as though Suzette's revelation brought a torch to light his way. A clever idea brightened up his aggrieved face. Knowing something about Hades intrigued Dylan, making the latter determined to play the former's game.

"How much do you love Ed, Suzette? Are you willing to do everything to be with him for the rest of your life?" Dylan asked in one breath, asking for Suzette's complete cooperation. She was involved in Hades' plan to have her marry a man from a wealthy family. If she wanted to pursue her marriage with Ed, she had to play a significant role in canceling the wedding Hades was expecting.

"Hell yes, Dylan. I want to be with Ed, but we can't because of our situation," Suzette confirmed proudly. But a hint of hopelessness sounded when she continued, "But how can we call off the wedding? We only have a few days left, but we haven't had a solid plan. I can never be prepared for losing Ed. But to be honest, I'm losing hope." She went back to the couch as though she was giving up already.

"Who told you we don't have a solid plan?" Dylan snapped with a smile, making Suzette raise her head. The look on her face screamed doubt and delight simultaneously.

As Suzette stared at Dylan, no words came out of her mouth until she asked, "Are you sure your plan will succeed?"

"My plan? No," Dylan replied and stared at Suzette. "It's our plan. Its success largely depends on you. I'll surely fail unless you're willing to execute it with me."

"Tell me about it, Dylan," Suzette asked as she straightened up. "Tell me, so I know what I need to do. Whatever it is, I won't hesitate to do it unless I'd have to jump off a building," she added, making Dylan laugh. She reminded him of Madison, who could make him laugh amidst suffocating circumstances.

Dylan made himself sit on the couch comfortably before he presented the plan. Suzette quietly listened throughout. She nodded to points she agreed with and shook her head to those she disagreed with. In the end, Dylan finally breathed a sigh of relief as he received Suzette's agreement to cooperate with him.

It was nearly midnight when Dylan and Suzette finished finalizing the plan. He told her to go to bed while he waited for Hades' men to leave. A few more hours later, he knocked on Suzette's room to inform her he would get going.

"Thank you so much, Dylan. I don't know what to do if it hadn't been for you. I've already said it last time, but you're a Godsend, Dylan. I admire you for still being able to find hope despite the limited time," Suzette said in gratitude when she woke up to Dylan's knocks.

"You don't have to thank me, Suzette. I had to think of a way because I couldn't give up yet. Otherwise, I'd ruin my life. I love Madison enough to risk everything for her," Dylan replied with a smile. He kissed her on the cheek before leaving her room.

"Take care, Dylan. Hug her for me," Suzette replied and led Dylan to the door.

"I will. Thanks, Suzette." Dylan closed the door and left the apartment.

He drove to his apartment to see Madison despite lacking sleep. 'She must be upset. I'll make it to her once I fix everything,' Dylan thought.

When Dylan arrived at his apartment, Madison was sound asleep on the couch in the living room. He squatted before her and stroked her hair. "I miss you, darling. I promise you won't have to wait this long again soon. Please hang in there," he uttered and kissed her on the lips before gently lifting her to the bedroom.

Dylan wanted to stay beside Madison. He leaned on the bed to embrace her for an hour before leaving her alone again. Despite the drowsiness, Dylan fought his body's desire to sleep and stay. He kept his eyes open, watching Madison's peaceful face.

He kissed her a few times, but she remained asleep. Dylan smiled and gave her a peck on the lips. Before he left, he wrote something on a piece of paper and left it on the pillow next to Madison.

"Wait for me, darling. I'll be back soon, and I promise I'll never leave you here alone again. Our plan will work, trust me. I'll do everything for our future. Just please don't let me go," Dylan whispered, leaving the room with heaviness in his chest.

If he could only cancel the wedding now, Dylan would have stayed. Madison was also stuck with the situation, making him more determined to make the plan succeed.

'I won't let her sacrifices go in vain. I'll make sure she'll be my bride,' Dylan thought, visualizing Madison in a wedding dress. The smile never left his lips until he arrived at the mansion, making him feel it was surreal.