When Madelyn Stillwell opened the door to Homelander’s room, he was sitting on the sofa.
Seeing Madelyn Stillwell, Homelander said coldly: “Get out.”
“You haven’t come to see me these past two days, you haven’t even looked at me.”
Madelyn Stillwell’s voice came from the doorway, with a hint of perfectly measured resentment.
She closed the door, her high heels echoing on the marble floor with a rhythm that was neither hurried nor slow, true to her usual style: always in control, always composed.
But tonight, her eyes reflected something more: unease and calculation.
In addition to anxiety, carefully disguised as tenderness.
Homelander looked up, his expression somewhat complex.
He opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.
Madelyn Stillwell, his caretaker.
The woman in his life closest to the word “mother.”
At that moment, Madelyn Stillwell stood before him, wearing an exquisitely tailored dark blue suit, with a wide neckline that revealed a deep décolletage.
Homelander couldn’t help his gaze drifting toward that neckline, opening his mouth, not knowing what he was thinking.
“Homelander?”
Madelyn Stillwell sat down beside him, pressing her chest against Homelander’s, and then reached out to touch his face.
“What’s wrong, Homelander?”
Homelander moved half a centimeter to the side, avoiding her hand.
The movement was small, but Madelyn Stillwell’s fingers remained suspended in the air, as if they had hit an invisible wall.
“You and Stan Edgar.”
Homelander’s voice was much deeper than usual.
“And Vought.
You hurt Soldier Boy.”
“No, no, my baby.”
Madelyn Stillwell shook her head, her gaze so sincere it seemed innocent.
“At the time, I only thought Soldier Boy was a supervillain.
I didn’t know he was your father; truly I didn’t.
His situation, those things…
I was unaware of them.”
“But I went to review his files before.”
Homelander stared into her eyes.
“You blocked me.”
Homelander’s eyes were full of anger; he no longer looked at Madelyn Stillwell’s chest.
The room fell silent, and the faint hum of the air conditioner’s fan suddenly became exceptionally clear.
She leaned in, opened her arms, and hugged him.
It was a hug that completely enveloped Homelander with firmness.
In reality, Madelyn Stillwell was very nervous; she didn’t know if Homelander was still under her control, but she knew she had to do it.
For Vought.
Subsequently, Madelyn Stillwell positioned herself behind Homelander, resting her chin on his head and letting Homelander lean against a certain part of her.
Homelander froze, his hands hanging at his sides, not knowing where to put them.
“It’s all my fault.”
Madelyn Stillwell’s voice was very low, her breath brushing his earlobe with a slight, imperceptible tremor.
“I didn’t know anything at the time, honey.
If I had known he was your father, I would never have done it.
Forgive me, alright?
My love.”
Homelander’s Adam’s apple moved once, and he looked back at a certain point.
He wanted to say something, but the anger and resentment that had built up in his chest for days suddenly found no outlet in Madelyn Stillwell’s embrace.
His hand began to gently stroke her back.
“You haven’t come to see me in two days, does that mean you won’t come see me in the future?”
When Homelander tilted his head toward him, Madelyn Stillwell pulled back slightly, caressing his face with her hands and gently rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs.
“I wait for you every day.
Do you know that?
Every day, honey.”
Homelander looked into her eyes, his lips moving slightly.
Madelyn Stillwell pressed her advantage.
“Trust me.”
Madelyn Stillwell’s fingers slid from the corner of his eye to his cheek.
“I’ve never lied to you, honey.
All those decisions were Stan Edgar’s.
I only executed them for him.
As for your father, the truth is I didn’t know at the time.”
She leaned toward him, until her forehead almost touched his.
“Let me make it up to you, alright?
Just like before.
You can have Soldier Boy’s love, and you can also have… This story is hosted at novelping.com.
my love, can’t you?”
Homelander’s breathing became irregular.
He knew Madelyn Stillwell might be lying, but he couldn’t help it.
His super hearing clearly detected Madelyn Stillwell’s heartbeat, which was abnormally fast.
Previously, Madelyn Stillwell had explained it as the excitement passion brought her; however, in reality, there was another possibility: Madelyn Stillwell was afraid.
But was she feeling passion at that moment or fear?
Homelander didn’t know.
Everything that had happened in the past few days—his father’s return, the denial of the files, Black Noir’s death, the conversations in the office full of truths and lies—everything mixed together, making him feel like the string in his mind was about to snap.
But at that moment, Madelyn Stillwell’s warmth was real.
Her breath was real.
The scent she gave off, which he knew, was also real.
“Don’t go,” Madelyn Stillwell whispered, sliding her fingers along the back of his neck and gently pressing his head against her shoulder.
Homelander’s eyelids closed, the resistance in his body slowly dissolving.
But the next instant, Homelander remembered the words his father had used to scold him: “Coward.”
He didn’t want to be a coward.
He didn’t want to be controlled by anyone again, he didn’t want to be anyone’s tool again.
He was Homelander, the most powerful superhero in the world.
However, Madelyn Stillwell’s arms still circled his neck.
Homelander clenched his fists.
The next moment.
A loud crash.
The door was kicked open.
When the door was kicked open, the heavy metal panel flew off its hinges, crashing into the opposite wall with a deafening boom.
Madelyn Stillwell let out a scream and released Homelander.
Homelander stood up abruptly, his pupils strongly contracted.
In the doorway stood a tall, silent figure, dressed in a dark green combat suit.
He didn’t hold his shield in his hand; instead, it hung on his left, its metal edge reflecting a cold light under the hallway illumination.
Benjamin, also known as Soldier Boy, stood in the doorway, observing the scene from the sofa.
There were no gestures of anger, no shouting, no questions, and he didn’t even enter.
He just stood there, looking at Homelander with an extremely calm gaze.
Benjamin had long noticed something was wrong with Madelyn Stillwell; when he passed by earlier, Madelyn Stillwell was dressed like an old prostitute, absolutely disgusting.
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