Chapter 5 It's Uncomfortable

"No, it's fine!" Madison blurted out, quickly dropping her gaze and pushing herself to walk ahead.

Along the desolate road, both she and the car trudged at a painfully slow pace for over ten minutes.

Ultimately, Madison conceded, primarily because she had classes today and she would undoubtedly be late if she kept walking at this sluggish pace.

Traces of their fiery night still hung in the air of the back seat, sending her heart into a frenzied flutter.

Chris remained stoic throughout the drive. As they approached the school, he asked Jordy to hop out and grab some breakfast.

Clutching the warm breakfast in her hands, Madison bit her lip and suddenly lifted her head, mustering all the courage she could gather.

But just as she was about to break the silence, Chris' gaze silenced her.

She found herself utterly unable to broach the topic, not even able to muster a simple thanks.

"That approach was downright stupid," Chris remarked bluntly, his offhand comment hitting Madison like a slap.

Her fingers brushed against the sleek, luxurious packaging as she hesitated. "I..."

"Every deal begins with a show of good faith. If someone was truly selling that video, they'd show you a snippet first to prove its authenticity."

Only at that moment did it dawn on Madison-Chris had been talking about something completely unrelated to her thoughts.

The very hand that had driven her wild the night before, leaving her craving more, now reached out with a USB drive in its grasp.

"The surveillance was already messed with. This is an insider's recording. Whatever you decide to do now is your choice," he stated with quiet conviction.

Madison experienced a stirring of warmth within her heart and her gaze instinctively sought out Chris' face.

His eyes remained serene, his expression unaltered-indifferent and distant as ever.

It seemed that of the two, she alone had been left troubled by the events of the previous night.

Rumor had it Chris had no interest in women, but he was, after all, 32 years old. Surely he was no stranger to these encounters.

Madison found herself drowning in a sea of her own conflicting emotions.

The car glided to a smooth halt at the gates of the school. She received the USB drive from him, offered her thanks, and made a swift exit, her head bowed to avoid any further exchange.

With graduation on the horizon, the dormitory had dwindled to just herself and the ever-vigilant night owl, Josie Ward.

Pushing the door open, Madison was taken aback to find Josie still positioned before her laptop, fingers dancing across the keyboard.

"Did you stay awake all night, or are you just now getting out of bed?" Madison questioned with a raised brow.

At her words, Josie glanced up, her eyes red and weary, then rushed over to envelop Madison in a tight embrace.

"Those fucking haters!" she exclaimed, her voice raspy with both concern and fury. "I've been arguing with them all night long."

Madison returned the embrace, gently patting Josie's back. "Arguing with them isn't going to change anything."

"I know that. It's just that I'm so mad." Josie's nose twitched as she caught a faint scent. "Madison, where were you last night? Have you switched your shower gel? This scent is different..."

Madison's cheeks reddened once more as she quickly stepped back from Josie. "I picked up some breakfast. Would you like some?"

"Absolutely." Ravenous, Josie's attention immediately shifted to the food. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Wow, did you win the lottery or something? I can't believe you got breakfast from this place! The food there is super expensive."

It hadn't even crossed Madison's mind to notice which place Jordy had bought the food from.

"I happened to be nearby, so I thought, why not?"

Josie opened the box, but her expression turned to one of dismay. "It's all pastries and sweets."

While Madison had a sweet tooth, Josie couldn't indulge in sugary treats.

Had Madison intentionally bought breakfast to share with Josie, it certainly wouldn't have included such items.

Caught under Josie's increasingly skeptical and curious gaze, Madison found herself struggling to come up with an explanation.

Just then, Madison felt the insistent buzz of her phone from deep within her pocket. She exhaled a soft, grateful sigh and answered it, not bothering to check the caller ID. The familiar, low tones of Chris' voice filled her ear.

"Madison, do you have my watch in your pocket?"

His question sounded like the typical conversation exchanged between longtime lovers.

After a night woven with intimacy, it was as if a husband casually inquired his wife about his misplaced watch.

Madison's recently stilled emotions began to flutter wildly again, a warm rush flooding her ears.

She reached into her skirt pocket and clasped the cool metal of a Patek Philippe watch. "Yes."

"Last night, you said it was uncomfortable, so I took it off. Please keep it for me."

Finishing his sentence, he disconnected the call with absolute finality.

"Last night, you said it was uncomfortable!"

That phrase haunted Madison, reverberating through her mind like a relentless echo. The harder she tried to suppress the memories, the more vividly they returned.

With her legs wrapped around him, she braced herself, gasping as he drove into her relentlessly.

His hand pressed firmly against her lower back, pulling her closer with each moment, while the chill of the watch band against her flushed skin caused her to whisper faintly, "It's uncomfortable."

Tormented by the recollection, Madison lifted her hand to her face in despair.

Why did he have to bring that up now?

Josie reached out, pulling Madison's hand away from her face, her eyes wide.

Her tone mixed frustration and disbelief, like a parent grappling with unexpected news. "Were you with Colten last night?"