Love Burned, She Rose Unscathed

Chapter 832
Madge's expression remained calm and unruffled, but Kathleen only grew more agitated at her composure.
Kathleen's icy stare was a tangled knot of anger and envy, her emotions barely contained. Suddenly, she let out a cold, sharp
laugh.
Moonlight washed over her face, lending her features a ghastly pallor. With her crimson coat thrown over her shoulders, she
looked almost spectral-like a vengeful spirit from an old legend.
Madge's eyes flickered with confusion.
"Sister, you know, I've always envied you-envied the way Mom and Dad doted on you, envied how Teague always looked out for
you. No matter where you went, you were always the center of attention, the one everyone admired."
"Standing next to you, I always felt like the ugly duckling beside a swan. But I'm family too, aren't I?"
Madge frowned and stepped forward, reaching out to steady her. "Kathleen... you've had too much to drink."
But Kathleen jerked away, shoving Madge's hand aside. "Don't touch me! Don't pretend to care. You're probably laughing at me
inside, aren't you?"
"I'm not "

"Ever since we were kids, as long as you were there, Mom and Dad's eyes never left you. You were all they could see. Why?"
Kathleen suddenly spun around and seized Madge by the shoulders, her grip growing tighter with every word.
Her gaze darkened, her voice trembled with accusation. "More than twenty years —everything was fine, peaceful, normal. Why
did you have to come back? Was it so terrible to leave things as they were?"
"You have a husband, a daughter, a picture-perfect family. You're even a bestselling author now. You've got everything. So why
isn't it enough? Why do you still have to come back and take what's mine?"
Kathleen's voice rose to a fever pitch, all her years of pent-up resentment and hurt spilling over in a torrent.
Madge withdrew her hand and took a half-step back, putting some space between them. Her own gaze cooled, growing sharp.

"Kathleen, we grew up together. You know me as well as I know you. You didn't show up tonight just to have New Year's Eve
dinner with Mom and Dad, did you?"
Kathleen hesitated.
Madge pressed on, her voice steady.
"And now you're pretending to be drunk, poking your heart out like
this. I doubt it's just a drunken impulse. Since we both know exactly what we're dealing with, why not drop the act? Just tell me
straight-what do you want?"
"That way, I won't have to keep guessing, and you won't have to keep pretending. Wouldn't that be easier for both of us?"

Kathleen straightened, a strange smile flickering on her lips. "After all these years, you really haven't changed at all.”
Still so perceptive. Still so infuriating.
"Fine. Since we're being honest, let's not mince words." Kathleen's drunken air vanished, her eyes suddenly clear and sharp as
she looked Madge dead in the eye.
"I came here tonight—and brought Teague along-because I wanted to see what's really going on between you two."
Madge didn't flinch. "And? Did you find what you were looking for?"
Kathleen studied her up and down. "You, I can't quite read. But Teague? It's
obvious he's still not over you. Don't bother denying it—I'm not blind, I can see it plain as day."
"I'm not denying it," Madge replied quietly. "You're overthinking things."
Kathleen fell silent for a beat.
"You still haven't told me what you actually want from me," Madge continued. "Or let me put it another way: you dragged me out
here and staged this whole scene-what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Aberdeen Rodriguez, you're as sharp as ever.” Kathleen's tone was almost admiring. “It's simple, really. And for someone like
you, it shouldn't be hard. All I want is "

"Stay away from Teague. As far away as possible. Even if he comes to you, you keep your distance. Understood?"
Madge's brows drew together. "Is that all?"
"Don't change the subject. Just answer me—can you do that or not?"
Madge shook her head slowly,
bewildered. "Kathleen, sometimes I honestly can't follow your logic. If you can see that he's the one who Can
isn't over it, why are you coming to me with demands?" . to