Chapter 175

175 –The New Orders

Madeline:

He had come back with a board game box. We had been playing for the past few minutes, and I realized he had not changed at all when it came to being naughty.

“ I forgot how much fun this used to be,” Elgin stated excitedly.

“Yeah, I remember you used to cheat in this,” I replied.

As soon as I said that, he frowned playfully.

“I never cheated,” he insisted.

He said it with such confidence that I rolled my eyes at him. We both reached for the small wooden tokens.

I picked the blue one, while he picked the red one and placed it at the starting point.

Then he shuffled the card deck with a little too much enthusiasm.

A few cards slipped under his palm. His hand covered them longer than needed, and I narrowed my eyes at him.

He placed the deck down, but the top card was tilted slightly, as if he had pulled it forward on purpose.

I watched his hand drift toward the card with slow movements.

He was trying to be sneaky. Before he could slide the top one up with his thumb, I grabbed his wrist, giving him a firm clap.

“Elgin, you are cheating again,” I told him in a scolding tone.

“No, my hand accidentally did it,” he replied.

It was an excuse he did not even try to improve. That was how he always behaved.

I let go of him, and he picked up the dice instead.

He shook them in his hand but angled his palm in a way that hid the numbers from me.

When he dropped them, they rolled only half a space before stopping.

“Elgin, this did not even roll,” I said sternly, my lips puckering.

I was starting to get annoyed with him.

“It rolled enough, okay,” he said, as he moved his red piece forward four places.

Then his finger pushed the piece one extra space as he tried to adjust it.

“Elgin, come on, not every second,” I complained, pointing out that he could not help but cheat.

“What?” he replied, but this time he could not hide that he was actually irritating me.

We kept playing for a little more time, and he continued to try cheating, and I continued to catch him.

He tried to switch his cards with mine, even once when I was not looking.

Each time I caught him, and each time he laughed.

1/3

* 75 Boys

By the end, we both realized it was not just about the game or who would win.

It was the fact that we were having fun, and everything felt lighter,

For the first time in a long while, I felt like a teen again, reliving the days I never got to enjoy.

By then we were tired, and it was time to head to bed.

I had placed new sheets for him in what used to be Nina’s room.

Once he was tucked in, I left for my room. I took a shower and then lay under the covers.

I was tired and had a little too many drinks. When I lay down, I fell asleep instantly,

Weirdly enough, I woke up without any headache.

Usually when I drank and woke up the next day, I had excruciating pain.

But I guessed that because it had been such a pleasant night, I slept like a baby,

I changed into black pants and a grey off–shoulder shirt, leaving my hair loose after blow–drying it.

I applied red lipstick, and when I came out, I realized everybody was still sleeping

Before I could go into the room to wake the children, there was a hard knock on the door.

It sounded too urgent, so I decided to check the door first.

When I opened the door, the wind entered first, before I even registered who was standing in front of me.

Two warriors were on the front porch, waiting for me to answer.

The minute I did, they greeted me with a nod and stepped closer.

They wore the special uniforms used by the council warriors, so I already had a feeling something serious was going on.

There were SUVs parked outside as well. I began to wonder if they were here to arrest me.

I remembered the last time they came, which was last night, and it had been about Justin.

What if they had found something else and were blaming me for it?

All these thoughts rushed through my head so fast that I could not greet them back.

One of the warriors said my name.

“Madeline Sawyer?” he asked.

I snapped out of it and nodded.

“Hello. How may I help you?” I asked, steadying my breath.

I still had not contacted Sawyer, so I did not know if he had ordered Justin to do what he did, or if Justin acted on his own.

“This is for you from the council,” the warrior said. Instead of handcuffing me, he handed me a file.

2/3

170–He is facing Mic Kids Behind

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Ruby Walker

Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.