Love on the Fast Track

Chapter 51:

As Sean’s black car faded into the distance, Norah turned around and headed home, a heavy sigh trapped in her chest, screaming for escape. She quickly grabbed her phone, her fingers flying as she fired off messages to Derek.

“Derek, you wanted to split without hard feelings, yet here you are plotting behind my back! Do you think I will not notice just because I don’t say anything? I couldn’t care less whether you’re aware, but pass this message to Madeline. If she crosses the line again, she’ll have me to answer to!”

“As for the divorce, if you choose to stay quiet, your choice. See you in court!”

Norah was messaging as she walked, and by the time she entered the living room, she had already sent out three messages. She tossed her phone onto the sofa and pulled her hair back with a band.

Feeling down, Norah craved something tasty to eat. She opened the refrigerator to take stock. Inside were plenty of ingredients she had picked up recently, sparking thoughts on what she could cook.

Norah was too engrossed in the kitchen to notice her phone lighting up with notifications on the sofa.

Derek, frowning deeply, gripped his phone. Despite the recent barrage of messages, she vanished after his reply. No matter how many messages he sent, she didn’t respond. As he typed, his frustration mounted, infusing his messages with anger.

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“Derek, Kathy’s already left. What’s the situation with Miss Wilson?” Madeline, dressed in a delicate white lace dress, approached Derek with elegance. She glanced at his phone and noticed the unreturned messages from Norah. Madeline was baffled.

Norah was known for her relentless messaging. “What made her go silent this time?”

“She bombarded me with bizarre messages and then went silent after my response. I think Norah is playing games,” Derek said, unable to mask his irritation. “She even dragged your name into this, warning against crossing her path again. As if she has any right!”

Madeline’s heart skipped a beat as she tentatively asked, “Does Miss Wilson still harbor resentment toward me? Whenever I see Miss Wilson, she’s openly hostile and always has a terrible attitude toward me. It’s one thing to be used to her disdain, but now she’s trying to tarnish my image with you, Derek.”

Derek brushed aside his doubts, comforting Madeline. “Norah tends to get jealous and start arguments. But she’s no match for you, Madeline. I see you for who you are, and gossip can’t change my affection for you. My heart belongs only to you.”

He softly stroked Madeline’s back, adding, “Our relationship is built on trust. Let’s not let unfounded issues weaken it.”

Madeline shifted the conversation, casting her gaze downwards. “Finalizing the divorce with Miss Wilson sooner rather than later would be wise. My parents are asking about when our two families can meet. They’ll be upset if they learn you haven’t completed the formalities.”

“I promise to handle it as quickly as I can. Just give me a little time.” Derek embraced Madeline closer, as though she was his entire universe. Madeline was his cherished one.

Eating alone, Norah prepared two dishes and a soup, finally checking her messages. Derek’s messages read, “What’s going on? Can we get together to talk over the divorce details?”

“Hey! Where have you gone? Weren’t you just here? Are you ignoring me?”

“Fine! Norah, you’ve outdone yourself!”

Reading Derek’s messages, Norah couldn’t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. At last, Derek was experiencing the sting of being ignored in a message exchange! She edited the messages while eating.

Her reply read, “We can meet to discuss, but I don’t want to repeat what happened in the cafe last time. Set up a time.”noveldrama

Norah savored a bite of the delicious dish and narrowed her eyes, acknowledging her cooking skills hadn’t diminished. Reflecting on what Sean had said during the journey back home, she sent another message saying, “Watch Madeline closely. Don’t let her pull any moves behind the scenes. I’m letting the Oceanic Treat Cafe incident slide for now, but if she tries anything similar, I’ll hit back just as hard.”

Concerned Derek might misunderstand her, Norah took the time to search for a video and forwarded the link. Sean had tipped Norah off that a video from the Oceanic Treat Cafe incident was circulating.

The footage, showing Madeline’s feigned innocence against Norah’s calm demeanor, painted Norah as the villain. The comments were unanimously harsh, accusing Norah of manipulation and dishonesty.

Norah was uncertain about the number of sponsored commenters active in the comment section. However, the video’s rising popularity was undeniable, as evidenced by Sean’s attention to it. As Norah enjoyed her soup, she resolved to address this matter later.

Madeline shouldn’t think she could overlook this simply because the mastermind remained unidentified. No, Norah was set on compiling evidence.

Derek’s response came quickly, with messages arriving shortly after: “Pick the time and place.” “This isn’t about Madeline. The cafe was crowded. Why point fingers at her?”

Norah couldn’t help but scoff at Derek’s blind devotion. No matter Madeline’s actions, Derek seemed ready to defend her at every turn. She had to concede that Derek’s adoration for Madeline was unmatched. Norah chose Friday for their meeting. Finalizing their divorce earlier seemed like the logical step.

After her meal and cleanup, Norah positioned herself at her desktop computer in the bedroom. This wasn’t the sleek, portable kind favored by her age, but a stationary setup with a separate monitor and CPU. The 24-inch display cast a soft glow.

Norah drew the keyboard closer and dove into coding. Code streamed out behind the cursor unceasingly. Norah’s fingers flew across the keyboard, their movement a blur.

Launching the program, Norah couldn’t suppress a grin as Derek’s name appeared in the corner of her display.

Accessing the site hosting the controversial video, Norah set to work with a smirk. She navigated from the video uploader’s IP address to those commenting, and the screen filled with data. With a keen eye, she sifted through the information.

The uploader’s IP address pinpointed Derek’s villa as the exact location, and a significant portion of the comments came from paid posters, all echoing the same sentiments from matching IPs.

Following the trail of these commenters led Norah to their collective chat. She breached their server and uncovered dialogues between Madeline and the group owner, capturing every exchange.

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