Chapter 8 Ice Bath

Christopher's friends sprawled out beside him, clearly delighted by the unfolding drama.

"Miss Dixon, Christopher insists you take a spa bath," one of them said, voice thick with mockery. "Stay submerged in this barrel of beer until every last chunk of ice melts, and the Yates family will sign with you on the Aurora Mall project."

Madelyn's face drained of color.

Her body had never handled cold well, and her periods were torturous enough already.

The doctor's warning echoed in her mind: absolutely no exposure to cold near her cycle.

From the calendar in her head, she knew her period was just around the corner.

She hesitated, her voice strained. "Is this really necessary? Mr. Yates, I could actually..."

Christopher cut her off, the hint of a threat in his tone, "You have to do it."

He straightened, moving as if to leave, a lazy disinterest in his posture. "What's wrong, Miss Dixon? Not up for it? That's fine-I never force anyone. But if that's the case... the collaboration's off the table."

"Wait. I'll do it," Madelyn called after Christopher, her voice clear and unwavering.

Christopher's mouth curled into a smug smile. "That's more like it, Miss Dixon. Let's get started, shall we?"

He lounged back in his seat, looking thoroughly entertained-like a man settling in to watch his favorite drama unfold.

Frosty mist swirled above the beer barrel, the cold radiating off it in waves that made Madelyn's skin prickle.

Madelyn strode up to the barrel brimming with bobbing ice, her breath coming out unsteady.

She'd faced down clients more ruthless than this-she refused to let something like this rattle her.

If they wanted a spectacle, she'd give them one.

Resolute, she slipped off her shoes, braced her hands against the barrel's rim, and cautiously let her toes break the frigid surface.

A glacial shock rushed up her legs, threatening to drive her back.

But Christopher's expectant glare held her in place. Forcing herself to press on, she slid one foot, then the other, deeper into the frozen beer.

The moment her body sank into the icy depths, a wave of cold assaulted her, prickling her skin and making her shiver. Soon, only her small head and the fragile line of her collarbones peeked above the sloshing, ice-cold beer.

Within seconds, the color had drained from her lips, turning them ghostly pale.

She hugged her knees against her chest, shivering uncontrollably, every inch of her skin prickling with goosebumps. A sharp, twisting ache began to build in her lower abdomen, threatening to double her over.

Madelyn realized that if she stayed much longer, the cold would sap every bit of warmth she had left. She couldn't afford to give in-not now.

Desperate for relief, she started rubbing her arms up and down, fighting to keep her muscles from locking up, but the numbness crept relentlessly into her limbs, draining her strength and expression alike.

She sneaked a glance at Christopher, hoping for a sliver of mercy. Instead, his frown only deepened.

"Are you unhappy with my arrangements, Miss Dixon?" Christopher drawled, his voice as cold as the beer.

Madelyn quickly shook her head. "No, Mr. Yates," she responded, her voice trembling with cold and pride.

Christopher's friends taunted her mercilessly, their laughter echoing off the walls.

"Mr. Yates went out of his way to set up this little spa bath for you, and you look like you'd rather be anywhere else."

"If you keep huddling like that, how are we supposed to wait for all the ice to melt? Is Mr. Yates supposed to sit here all night just for you?"

Shamed by their ridicule, Madelyn lowered her gaze, long lashes trembling-a portrait of fragile defiance.

After a heartbeat's hesitation, she forced herself to stretch out her arms, gripping the slippery rim of the barrel, teeth clenched against the cold. "How's this?" she queried, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That's more like it," someone sneered, clearly pleased by her compliance.

As the last vestiges of warmth leeched from her body, a single thought burned in her mind: no matter what it took, she couldn't lose the Aurora Mall deal.

She lost track of time as the numbing chill crawled up her limbs, the room's noise fading into a dull roar-until chaos suddenly erupted around her.

Without warning, strong arms scooped her up as if she weighed nothing, lifting her clear of the ice bath.

Startled, Madelyn blinked up, dazed, as a tall silhouette blocked out the overhead lights. Before she could react, she found herself bundled tightly into a broad, steady embrace, enveloped in unexpected warmth.