hapter 289


    Although Curtis had woken up a few


    days earlier, Felix hadn''t been overly concerned, knowing that each person''s recovery time depended on their physical condition.


    "I''m in Yartford. I''ll see him when I get back," he replied to Xena.


    In response, she abruptly hung up, showing her impatience.


    Around 7:00 pm, Felix and Madeline arrived at the restaurant.


    "Does your boyfriend''s family have a lot of money?" Felix asked, ncing at the upscale entrance, which suggested a high-end dining experience.


    Furrowing her brows slightly, Madeline replied "No, he just works at apany, eaming a little over ten thousand dors monthly. However, this is his family''s first time meeting me, so it''s understandable they''d want to splurge a little." That made sense to Felix. A young man was already seated inside when they entered the private room.


    "Luke, let me introduce my cousin, Felix Zeller. He happened to be in Yartford for business, so I invited him along. Is that okay?" Madeline asked.


    Luke Sanders, who had friendly-looking features and wore sses, smiled warmly.


    "No problem at all. Hello, Felix."


    "Hello," Felix responded politely.


    As the three of them sat down, Luke mentioned, "Maddy, my sister got caught in traffic, so


    she''ll be a bitte."


    After chatting for about half an hour, a woman entered the room. Her expression was cold, though she had a well-maintained, polished appearance.


    "Maddy, this is my sister, Lilian Sanders. Lilian, this is Madeline Brooks, whom I told you about. And this is her cousin, Felix Zeller," Luke said.


    Madeline extended her hand to greet Lilian, but Lilian merely nced at it disdainfully before sitting beside Luke. Her actions created an awkward atmosphere. "Lilian, what are you doing? That''s really rude!" Luke protested, clearly upset by Lilian''s behavior.


    "What did I do? I''m refusing to shake her hand because she''s dirty," Lilian replied dismissively.


    Initially, Madeline had nned to overlook any unpleasantness, thinking Lilian might just be in a bad mood. However, those words struck a nerve, causing her to snap back.


    "I''m dirty? And what exactly makes you think you can say that? Even people who have lived rough lives show more ss than you."


    Lilian let out a mockingugh.


    "Oh? Then you must be familiar with those kinds of people, right? Well, it makes sense. After all, someone who worked as a hostess in a bar would''ve met all kinds of people." Madeline froze, speechless and unable to respond.


    Felix remained silent, observing the situation. It was clear that Lilian had done her homework and had run a background check on Madeline''s past. Clearly, there was more to their family than what met the eye.


    While most people present knew about Madeline''s past, Luke didn''t. Hence, he was infuriated as he retorted, "You can leave right now, Lilian. If I had known you nned to intimidate Maddy like this, I would never have agreed to this meeting." Lilian pulled a file from her bag and tossed it onto the table.


    "Take a look for yourself, idiot! Madeline used to work as a bar hostess in Avesburgh. Am I wrong to call her dirty? How dare a woman like that dream of marrying into our family?"


    A bar hostess?


    arees


    Luke stared nkly at the documents on the table while Madeline rushed toward the door,, her eyes brimming with tears. However, the next moment, Luke ran after her and grabbed her arm.


    "Maddy, I don''t care about what you''ve done in the past. I love you for who you are, and your past doesn''t matter to me," he said.


    Madeline was stunned. She had never expected such a deration from Luke, and it had caught herpletely off guard.


    "Lilian, I fell in love with Maddy at first sight, and I will marry no one but her. Digging up her past is pointless and won''t change my feelings."