All Chapters of After Redemption, I Became His Hidden Secret: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

[Curious whether Kyle will choose you or me? If you really want the answer, come to the Dynasty Hotel.]The message from Madeline burned in my hand. At first, anger surged through me, only to be smothered by shame.I was nothing more than the canary Kyle kept hidden away in a suburban villa, while she was the Gill family’s officially acknowledged future daughter-in-law.She taunted me because she already knew the answer.As for me… I knew it too. Still, I wanted to hear him say it with his own mouth. That way, at least, we would have an ending.I arrived at the Dynasty Hotel, only to be stopped at the door.The door attendant said apologetically, “I am sorry, miss. Mr. Kyle has booked the hotel for the night. No one can enter without an invitation.”My eyes swept past him, over the glittering gowns and sparkling lights inside, until they landed squarely on the pair at the heart of the dance floor, locked in a blazing, breathless embrace.It was Kyle and Madeline.My face s

Chapter 2

No one expected me to walk away so easily, or to take it all so calmly. Some started whispering that I was just playing hard to get. Others even bet on how long it would take before I came crawling back.If this had been before, maybe I would have wasted my breath explaining, telling them no, I really had let Kyle go. That I did not love him anymore. That I had zero interest in being the Gill family’s young madam.Now, instead of arguing with a pack of gossip, I would rather think about where I would move once this breakup was truly behind me.I was still lost in thought when someone grabbed my arm. I was startled as I turned around, and there was Kyle, whose expression was dark and stormy.His eyes brimmed with irritation as he frowned at me. “Let me take you home.”I yanked my arm free and stepped back, putting space between us. My tone was cold. “There is no need to. If I can come here on my own, I can leave on my own. Save your concern, Mr. Kyle.”His gaze dropped to my b

Chapter 3

I glanced at the time. It was one in the morning.I did not expect Kyle to be back at the villa early. It almost felt flattering.After all, he had not set foot there in nearly a month.I kept my tone casual. “I just decided to take a short trip. Will not be long. Probably a week or so.”He was silent for a moment before pressing, “Are you really… just going on a trip?”I caught the cautious edge in his voice and gave a helpless little laugh. “Of course. Since when have I ever lied to you?”My words seemed to catch him off guard.It brought him back to when he was ten, and I was fourteen. I was too old to stay in the orphanage.The day I left, he cried like his heart was being torn apart, begging me not to leave him.I stroked his head and said, “I’ll come back for you.”His face was still streaked with snot and tears when he blinked up at me with those watery eyes. “Really?”I meant every word when I said, “Yes.”Then I vanished for half a month.He waited for me every si

Chapter 4

I took a sip of mushroom soup and said in a calm and even voice, “I am not picking a fight with you. I just do not love you anymore, and I have let go of the obsession with being with you. Let us end this amicably.”Kyle opened his mouth to reply.However, I had already hung up.My phone started blowing up with notifications. I silenced it and tossed it aside.He began spamming me with messages when he realized I was ignoring his calls.[Nadine, pick up! I need you to tell me in your own words. What do you mean you do not love me?][I know you are playing hard to get, trying to force me into marrying you, but that is impossible.][If I marry Madeline, I will have the leverage to compete with my uncle for the CEO position. Once I become CEO of the Gill Corporation, I can give you all the money and status you want.][I have been working hard for our future. Madeline does not mind your presence. She is willing to share me with you. Even the proud Young family heiress can make way

Chapter 5

Drama?I could not believe it. I ran all the way to South City, changed my number, even had Madeline erased my travel records, and cut him out of my life completely.Yet Kyle still thought I was just throwing a tantrum?I could not help but laugh. The more I laughed, the darker his expression grew. He knew perfectly well I was mocking him, yet he had the shamelessness to say, “If I’d known picking you up would make you this happy, I would’ve come sooner.”I finally lost it. I rolled my eyes, no longer caring about keeping up appearances. My voice dripped with disgust, “Kyle, enough. Don’t tell me you can’t tell that I’m laughing at you.“Drama? Where do you get the audacity to use that word for me? Just because I once loved you, does that mean I am condemned to love you forever, stripped of dignity, stripped of limits?“Wake up. When I said it was over, I meant it was over. No more contact, no more entanglement. We go our separate ways and live our own life in peace. Not this f

Chapter 6

When Kyle asked me, what love was supposed to be, all I could think was—he really was hopeless.He had loved me once, truly, and I had loved him just as deeply. So how could he stand there and pretend he did not know what love looked like?My voice was calm, but unwavering, “Love was me at fourteen, waking up at three or four every morning to make bread, rain or shine, just so I could earn enough to take care of you.“Love was you at fifteen, bloodied and broken from fighting off thugs for my sake, and still holding me afterward, telling me not to be afraid.“Love was me at eighteen, dropping to my knees and begging, putting a price on my dignity, nearly selling myself, just to scrape together enough money for your surgery.“Love was you at twenty, even after becoming the Gill family’s young master, with eyes and heart only for me, cherishing me, protecting me, and daring to defy your family for my sake.“Love was me at twenty-four, stepping into the Gill’s place for you, endurin

Chapter 7

Kyle eventually left.I did not know what Madeline said to him, but before he walked away, his tear-filled eyes lingered on me in a daze.I thought he would come back to pester me again. I was even hesitating whether I should leave South City altogether and start over in a new city. However, a wedding invitation from Madeline arrived.The card was embossed in gold, elegant and ostentatious. Sitting across from me, Madeline wore a look of triumph. I felt nothing at all. I simply murmured, “Congratulations.”She did not see the reaction she wanted in my face, and a flicker of disappointment crossed hers. “So, it is true. You’ve really let him go.”I lifted my coffee, took a sip, and answered calmly, “Yeah.”Madeline was quiet for a moment, then frowned slightly. “The truth is, Kyle did not lie to you. I really could accept sharing him with you. After all these years competing with you, I realized your love for him was so pure. “It was something I could never buy, never earn. Hone

Chapter 8

Not long after, several small influencers went viral just because of the makeup I did for them, and our studio quickly became the most prestigious in town.The boss suggested I start streaming makeup tutorials. He even said that if I was willing to go on camera, I would be famous overnight with my looks.However, I never liked putting myself out there on the internet, so I turned him down.Even so, shows and film crews began reaching out, inviting me to do makeup for them. As demand grew, my rates skyrocketed. Eventually, I left the studio and only took on select projects that felt right.That gave me time to travel; to see the mountains and rivers I had never had the chance to visit before.I had struggled enough for the first twenty-eight years of my life. I just wanted to breathe easier for the rest of it.Still, not everything was so simple.Kyle would fly out to see me every week.He never said much. He just stood outside my door all night. Sometimes he brought roasted swe

Chapter 9

The next day, by the time I finished work, it was already one in the morning.The director was pleased with my skills and even recommended me to a well-known film director.It was a major production, one that would take more than a year to complete, most of it abroad.Even though I was not the lead makeup artist, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.The very next day, I flew to South City, checked out of my apartment, and set off for another country.I left in a hurry, and once I was on set, I threw myself into work, with no distractions. I was either doing makeup or studying, sharpening my craft. I had no idea what had happened back home that year because of that.It was not until the flight back, when people on the crew were gossiping, that I learned the news that Kyle went racing down a mountain road on the eve of his wedding. His car slammed into the guardrail and was completely totaled.He had not woken up to this day.The woman in the passenger seat, Madeline, di

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