Loving Madeline

Chapter 380: Home

Charlotte’s POV

"Madeline!" I exclaimed the moment I spotted her sitting at the long table in the dining hall of the manor.

She looked up, her face lighting up with a smile as she stood and opened her arms.

"Good morning, Charlotte!" she chirped, wrapping me in a warm hug.

I held her tightly for a second longer, still surprised. "I didn’t know you were coming," I said, stepping back to look at her more closely. "You’re here... in Barcelonia?"

She nodded, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Surprise."

I pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, unable to keep the concern out of my voice. "Why are you here? I mean—why did you come alone? And without telling anyone?"

She shrugged a little, her smile softening. "I wanted to see you. You weren’t at the Divenson mansion, and it’s been days since we last talked. Hunter brought me to Archois, but he’s been busy with business meetings and... honestly, I’ve been bored out of my mind."

My brows drew together. "You left Archois without a driver? Without telling anyone?"

"I tried going to your café in Archois, but you weren’t there. So I thought—maybe you were here, and I took a chance and Hunter’s pilot brought me here." She answered with a mischievous grin.

I sighed, torn between being touched by her effort and deeply worried about her recklessness. "You could’ve called me, Maddie. What if I hadn’t been here?" I asked, my voice a mix of concern and disbelief.

She gave me a sheepish smile, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she used to as if nothing had changed.

But everything had changed.

She was no longer the simple, wide-eyed Madeline I once knew—the girl I once bullied because of my stupidity and pride. That version of her was gone, replaced by someone now carrying the weight of a legacy far bigger than any of us had ever imagined. She had become a billionaire overnight, inheriting her grandfather’s vast fortune and name—a name that now commanded attention in the business world and sparked whispers in every social circle.

And yet, here she was. Sitting in front of me, in an old manor in Barcelonia, dressed modestly in jeans and a plain blouse like the old days as if she weren’t one of the wealthiest women in the country.

"You shouldn’t go around without security," I added quietly. "Things are different now. You’re different now."

Her expression faltered for just a second like my words had struck something deeper beneath her calm exterior.

"I know," she said softly. "But sometimes... I just want to feel normal again. To go somewhere without cameras or guards or people expecting something from me.

I didn’t want to be Madeline Brownwood, heiress to my grandpa’s wealth. I just wanted to be Maddie, Hunter’s wife," she said with a soft smile, her voice low but firm.

My chest tightened at her words. It struck me then—no matter how much money or influence she’d inherited, no matter the lavish lifestyle now wrapped around her name like a second skin, deep down she was still that same girl who walked through the gates of our mansion with nothing but a suitcase and a promise.

Back then, only Lily had welcomed her with open arms. The rest of us had watched with suspicion, and I—I had been the worst of all. Cold, judgmental, cruel. I hated myself for it now.

She smiled sheepishly, as if reading my thoughts, and reached for a piece of bread from the basket in the center of the table. "I just needed a change of scenery... and to see a familiar face. I would’ve waited for you at the café, but you weren’t there."

I studied her closely. Her features were as elegant as ever, but I noticed the faint lines of worry etched around her eyes—subtle, but telling. She was masking something. Pain, maybe. Or exhaustion. But her charm was intact, draped over her like a veil.

"Well," I said, reaching across the table and placing my hand gently over hers, "you found me."

She looked at me warmly. "Did I miss something?"

And with that, the dam broke. I told her everything. About Paris. The night I spent with Jack. The heartbreak. And then the unexpected miracle—the child now growing inside me.

Her eyes widened with delight, and she clutched my hand tighter. "Oh, Charlotte... that’s wonderful! Congratulations!"

There was a genuine sparkle in her eyes, not dulled by envy or pretense. Just pure, heartfelt happiness.

"I don’t think that’s a good idea," I said quietly, my arms crossed, as I tried to hide the tremor in my voice after Maddie told me we were going to see Jack.

"Charlotte," she began, her tone gentle but firm, "I know how much Jack suffered after losing you. He loved you, you know. Truly. He was brokenhearted too." Her gaze softened as she took a step closer. "You both deserve a second chance. Don’t let pride ruin something so rare."

I looked away, uncertain. My heart wanted to believe her, but my mind kept replaying the past—the hurt, the silence, the unanswered questions.

"You need to come with me to Archois," Maddie insisted, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"I’m not going," I said, though my voice lacked conviction.

She raised an eyebrow. "Then I’ll drag you out of here if I have to."

Despite myself, I laughed. It was impossible to argue with Maddie when she set her mind to something.

A few hours later, I found myself strapped into one of the Divenson family’s private jets, staring out the window as the clouds rolled by beneath us. Maddie sat beside me, unfazed, scrolling through her phone and making calls like a woman on a mission.

The moment we landed in Archois, she called Jack’s sister. I tried not to listen in, but I couldn’t help catching snippets.

"Oh," Maddie said, pausing as her expression shifted. "He’s in Magnolia?"

I felt my cheeks burn as she glanced at me and then ended the call.

"She said Jack talked about you. A lot," Maddie said with a triumphant smile. "He looked for you, Charlotte. He thought you didn’t love him anymore."

I bit my lip hard enough to sting. Just hearing his name stirred emotions I had buried deep.

"We’re going to Magnolia," she added decisively, standing as if the matter was already settled.

I shook my head. "Maddie, no. I know how busy you are, and my brother will kill me if I keep taking up your time. You have a life, a family..."

She stopped me with a warm but serious look. "Nonsense. This trip with Hunter had two purposes—and one of them was you. I came here because I wanted to help. Your happiness matters to me, Charlotte. And not just to me... Hunter asked me to look out for you too. He said you deserved to find your way back to love."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. For the first time in a long while, I felt like maybe—just maybe—I didn’t have to run from what I felt.

Maddie and I had fought—not loudly, but in the kind of quiet, tense disagreement where every word carried weight. In the end, I was grateful she didn’t force me to come with her to the restaurant. I had insisted on staying at her villa instead, promising I’d prepare dinner. I needed something to do with my hands, something to distract me from the storm in my chest.

I wasn’t sure if she’d actually convince Jack to come with her. Honestly, I wasn’t sure I even wanted her to try. Part of me still ached with uncertainty, and I had begged her—begged her—not to tell him I was in Magnolia. "Just feel him out first," I had said. "Please, Maddie."

So, I busied myself in the kitchen. I chopped vegetables I didn’t plan to use, stirred sauces that didn’t need stirring, and checked the oven more times than necessary. But no matter how much I moved, I couldn’t escape my thoughts. My mind kept drifting to Jack—his eyes, his laugh, the way he looked at me like I was something fragile and precious. Was he still angry? Had he moved on? What if seeing me only opened old wounds?

The silence in the villa grew louder with every passing minute. I felt restless. Uneasy. Afraid.

Then the answer came.

I heard the door open, light footsteps echoing through the hallway—and then two sets of footsteps. My breath caught. I slowly raised my head just as Maddie walked in, and beside her, there he was.

Jack.

The moment our eyes met, the walls I’d built inside me collapsed. Every doubt, every fear, every moment of waiting melted away. I let go of everything—I ran to him, without thinking, without hesitation, clinging to him as if he might vanish if I so much as blinked.

"Charlotte..." His voice cracked as he held me, wrapping his arms around me like he never wanted to let go. "I missed you so much. I was so lost after you left again in Paris. I came back to Archois and I tried—I tried everything to find you. I didn’t want to give up..."

I pressed a trembling finger to his lips, silencing him.

"I’m sorry, Jack. I was scared," I whispered.

His eyes softened, and he rested his forehead against mine. "You don’t need to be scared. I never stopped loving you. There’s nothing I want more in this world than to be with you... to spend the rest of my life by your side."

Tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t hold them back anymore. He wiped them away with gentle fingers, brushing my cheek with the tenderness I’d missed so deeply.

"I love you too, Jack," I murmured, my voice barely audible as he pulled me into his arms again.

A throat cleared behind us, breaking the moment.

"Lovebirds," Maddie teased, arms crossed and a smirk tugging at her lips.

I laughed through my tears, turning to her. I had nearly forgotten she was still in the room. But how could I forget the person who had made this moment possible?

I crossed the room and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Maddie," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I don’t know how to ever repay you for this."

She smiled, brushing it off with a wink. "Just name your first child after me. That’ll do."

We laughed, all three of us, and for the first time in a long while, I felt something I hadn’t known I’d been missing.

Home.