Something stank and it was definitely the text that just entered her phone. A text from her deadbeat dad.Maddie dearest? Really? After he threw her out of their house, he dared to call her Maddie dearest?There could only be one reason he was messaging her.She skimmed through the rest of the message. Aha! Just like she suspected. He found out she married into money and was trying to get into her good graces. She rolled her eyes. So predictable, and oh so not creative.She reread the message."Maddie dearest, no day since you have been gone did I not worry about your welfare." She snorted. Worried her foot. As if he could be sober enough to care about someone else apart from himself. "And then I was informed of your marriage to Drew McBride. A McBride! Those people are close to royalty. You hit the jackpot, Maddie. Accept my congratulations, although I would love to give it to you in person. When can we meet?"Without a second thought, she thrashed the message. Did he really think a

Drew rubbed his eyes, his mouth widening in a yawn. How did people do this, reading reports? No wonder he had been moody these past few days. He was a game developer. He did not do boring reports. To make it worse, he couldn't exactly say the reports were accurate. They needed a mole in each department. He needed coffee. And Madeline. Madeline with her way of making everything feel better just sending a smile his way.He realized she didn't talk about her family. He had no idea if she had any other person save her father. He really should get to know his wife, not just wooing her so that she could fall in love with him. Besides, his Dad often said that the fastest way to a lady's heart was to take interest in her life.Dad. On times like this, the loss hit harder. Dad always had the right words to say. The perfect advice to impart. The right path to guide him through.If Dad was here, he would know how just how to win Madeline over. If Dad was here, he would not be here right now, r

Maddie shuffled her gaze between the offensive piece of paper and Drew pacing from one end of the living room to another.Just when he thought he had it all handled, this had to come and explode in his face. All within twenty four hours.Her heart went out to him. It was hard to fight an enemy you could not see. Especially one who was saw and was watching you."How in God's name did that information leak?" Drew ran his hand through his already rumpled hair."You have a mole in the company." Aiden stated from the couch. Before the newspaper even landed on their doorstep, Aiden was already at their door, the morning paper clasped in his hands. Immediately they opened the door, he handed them the newspaper, headed straight to the couch, assumed what she called the thinking pose — fingers intertwined and jaw resting on them — and had been like that ever since."Of course there is a mole. The newspaper is an evidence of that."Aiden didn't even bother to react to Drew's terse response. "Wh

It started subtly.Harmless questions, statements and suggestions. Slowly it evolved to shooting down his own ideas. It was either unrealistic or destined to fail right from the start.The board meeting that held after Drew employed the interns Aiden sent, Fred had publicly called him out, demanding why he did so without informing the BOD.Another time, Fred and his cronies hadn't shown up for the meeting. When he reached out to them, they all claimed to have forgotten.The excuse was so improbable, it was obviously a lie.It was as though they were trying to mock his authority, disgrace him in a kind of twisted way. All in a bid to…do what? Express their displeasure at his refusal of Trofí's offer? Make him so discouraged that he allows them do whatever they willed? As though it was that easy to turn him away from the course he was on.Things to do in the company remain undone, what with Fred and his cohorts misbehaving. It was like a dance, him taking a step forward and them taking

Drew's heart was beating wild within his chest, thumping so loud it became the only thing he could hear.And one thing was responsible for it. Fear.Fear that he had scared her off.Aiden usually called him a man full of passion. He had always thought it a strength but perhaps it wasn't. Madeline eyes were freaking wide with stark fear. She looked like a deer caught before headlights.Even though every nerve in his body was screaming to kiss her, he could not but reverse into a safe territory. And so he leaned back on his chair and placed his hands on his laps. He put on a harmless smile and said, "tell me about your family."If anything, the 'deer caught in headlights' look intensified. "My…my family?" She stammered.What was with him and saying the wrong things tonight?"Yeah. You know so much — well, not so much but moderate knowledge about my family. I'd like to know about yours."Her eyes landed on everywhere but his face. Then she sighed and closed her eyes. "My family is not lik