9
Adrian’s previously fragile expression instantly froze.
His pupils constricted as he
up,
“What did you say?”
I frantically grabbed Natalie’s arm.
Please, please, please, please, don’t say anymore, sis!
Natalie looked at me in confusion, then glared at me like I was a cowardly child, “What? Mr. Shaw is pretending to care now? My little sister is so young, outsiders all say she married into wealth to be a rich wife, but when I went to Barcelona and asked what she wanted, she only asked for a phone card, so pitiful, as if afraid to ask for too much!”
It’s not like that!
My whole body was shaking, too afraid to look at Adrian’s face.
The silence in the room lasted so long it became torturous.
Natalie finally sensed something was wrong, “What’s the matter? What’s wrong with the phone card?”
Adrian actually laughed, a very short laugh, “Nothing.”
His voice got lower and lower.
I felt a burning gaze fixed on me, as if trying to pierce through me, making me itch all over.
He said very softly: “It’s all my fault, Natalie. I’m sorry.”
Suddenly, all the irritation was gone. He even started calling Natalie by name politely! Even lowering his head to apologize.
“Don’t… don’t act like this, it’s too fake!” Natalie was taken aback too.
Adrian: “Mm, it’s all my fault. But Natalie, my wife and I need to talk some things through. Give us some space.”
He half–coaxed, half–pushed Natalie out.
The moment the door closed.
I felt like I was facing my death.
The “click” of the lock sounded like a starting gun.
I didn’t care about anything else, quickly rushing upstairs, wanting to hide in his room.
I swear, at first I was only thinking his room could be locked from the inside, I didn’t have time to think about the fact that there was also a bed
in his room!
But Adrian was faster.
Before I could close the door, he reached out to block it, looking down at me.
I didn’t care about anything else, quickly rushing upstairs, wanting to hide in his room.
I swear, at first I was only thinking his room could be locked from the inside, I didn’t have time to think about the fact that there was also a bed in his room!
But Adrian was faster.
Before I could close the door, he reached out to block it, looking down at me.
Closed the door, locked it, one–handedly took off the sweater he had only been wearing for a short while.
Step by step, he backed me up to the edge of the bed.
I was on the verge of tears, “I–I–I was wrong.”
Adrian: “Too late.”
I begged: “I won’t divorce you anymore.”
After that scene earlier, anyone with a brain should understand that he hadn’t treated me as a replacement, he might even like me a little.
I thought… maybe I could observe a bit more before deciding whether to divorce or not.
Adrian nodded, “Don’t even think about it.”
He pushed me down onto the bed, his eyes locked on me, kissing my neck like a small beast seeking revenge.
“Kiss marks, huh? And calling me ‘dude‘, saying to let your wife go to you, huh? You’ve got guts, ‘dude‘.”
He kissed me, the jealousy he had held back for so long finally exploding, so intense it even turned into grievance.
However, he had always been expressionless, so used to controlling himself that even when emotions surfaced, he habitually suppressed them forcefully, until he had kissed me for a long time, seeming to draw enough strength from my body.
Only then did I hear him say softly: “I don’t not love you, I was just afraid that if I said it out loud, your response would be that you don’t love me.”
Adrian hugged me tightly.
I hesitated for a long time before carefully reaching out to hug him back.
After a long while, he asked in a small voice: “Aria, can you say it again? That ‘honey, hug me‘?”
I couldn’t stand it anymore: “Go away.”
Of course Adrian didn’t leave, instead getting closer, closer, super close.
This time, no doorbell interrupted.
I watched as he covered all the places where I had faked kiss marks with real ones.
Only then did I realize that this guy had actually been harboring intense jealousy, looking at that photo over and over again until it was burned
into his mind.
The curtains fluttered in the breeze.
The sun set, then rose again.
In the morning light, I drowsily looked up.
Hidden in the corner of his desk was precisely the bag of cookies I had lost.
