All Chapters of Hello, Glow-Up: He's Hooked on Me!: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Sawyer bristled at Madeline's question. He wanted to say yes, but that single word felt lodged in his throat. It was impossible to force out.On the surface, however, he looked perfectly composed. He was only chillingly indifferent as he asked, "You want me to trust you? Then tell me who sent you."Madeline stared at him, the faint hope in her eyes draining fast. Even after everything she'd said, he still doubted her. Her face paled, and she suppressed the ache in her chest as she said, "I got the job through the interview process. That's easy enough to verify, isn't it? No one sent me—"Sawyer cut her off, his voice hard. "How could you possibly have become my secretary without a higher-up pulling strings? You would've been skipped at the interview stage, solely because you're a woman! You wouldn't even have had the right to show up before me!""You are never to appear in front of me again. Ever!" Madeline remembered the words that had left her in agony and turmoil for seven years

Madeline soaked in the bathtub until the water turned cold. Only then did her panicked, tangled thoughts calm down. She asked herself if she wanted to keep staying by Sawyer's side, even if he was also suspicious of her.No matter how many times she asked herself that question, the answer was always yes. She couldn't bear to leave him, and she wasn't the type to give up easily.All those years of secretly loving Sawyer—the longing and admiration that had filled her days and nights—had already seeped into her bones. These weren't things she could just cut away.However, that one sentence from Sawyer left her sleepless all night. As the darkness thinned and dawn crept closer, her anxiety only grew. She dreaded daylight. Daylight meant going to work, and going to work meant seeing Sawyer. She didn't dare face him—at least not that day.The night before, he'd shattered the courage she'd mustered to get close to him, and she now had no idea how to pretend to be calm in front of him.Th

Glen checked his watch. It was almost 9:00 am; he and Sawyer had been waiting outside Madeline's apartment complex for over an hour.He glanced at a grim-faced Sawyer in the backseat and asked, "Should I call Ms. Jamison, Mr. Holt?"Sawyer didn't answer. He kept his eyes locked on the entrance. If Madeline came out, he wouldn't miss her.He glanced at his watch and silently did the math. Usually, she would arrive at the office a little earlier than he did. With a 20-minute commute, she would normally leave the house at around 8:20 am. But that morning, he'd waited outside from 7:50 am to 9:00 am, and she still hadn't shown up.There was no way she had left for work before 7:50 am, yet she still hadn't appeared at 9:00 am. He wondered what she was doing.Was she sick? Had she overslept? Or was she so pissed that she'd decided to skip work?Sawyer fought the urge to storm upstairs and bang on Madeline's door. He clenched his fist until the bracelet in his palm bit into his skin.H

Madeline was supposed to be feeling under the weather. If she were sick, she should've been resting at home, not out shopping with some random guy. And since when did she have a man in her life?Sawyer pulled out his phone and scrolled through Madeline's social media. However, she hadn't posted any stories, and her profile had only a few posts. There were no personal photos at all. He couldn't even grab a picture to ask the store clerk if it was her."Damn it!" he snarled.He fumed as he stormed straight to the control room. The junior security guard didn't recognize him and tried to chase him away, but Sawyer merely kicked him to the floor in one swift move. "Out of my way."The floor manager had chased Sawyer down and hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry, Mr. Holt. He's new and didn't recognize you."Sawyer tugged at his collar, his voice hard as he said, "Cut the crap. Pull the surveillance footage from this milk tea shop from about half an hour ago. Hurry up."The manager didn't

Madeline returned to her senses and blinked away the dampness in her eyes. She said with sincere gratitude, "I'll never forget."Uriah looked at her gently. "Then I hope you can keep being brave right now. If you ever feel uneasy, come to me. I'll always be here."He lifted a hand and naturally patted her head. This was the first time he'd reached out to touch her in the seven years they'd known each other.Madeline was taken aback. Then, she unbuckled her seatbelt and thanked him. "Thanks, Uriah. You're busy, so I won't invite you upstairs today. I'll treat you to a proper meal another day, alright? It'll be your official welcome party."Uriah nodded, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. "Sounds good. I'll be waiting for that meal."She got out, waved to him, and headed upstairs.Uriah rubbed the hand that had touched Madeline's hair, murmuring, "There's no need to rush. I've chased you all the way here. We've got plenty of time."He only drove off when her curvy fig